Madeleine L’Engle

 If you know what a tesseract is, if the world of mitochondria holds you in thrall, if you enjoy imagining “what might have been,” then you are among the thousands of readers worldwide who have been captivated by one of Madeleine L’Engle books for children. Whether you devoured them as a youngster or only discovered them while reading aloud to your own kids (or grandkids!), Madeleine L’Engle books—especially the Newbery Medal-winning A Wrinkle in Time and its sequels—hold a special place in your heart. One of the most beloved children’s book authors of all time, L’Engle popped into the space-time continuum on November 29, 1918, in New York City. Born to a pianist mother and a writer/critic father, L’Engle began writing at the tender age of 5 and pursued her passion throughout the rest her life. After graduating cum laude from Smith College in 1941, she went on to win many more honors as a writer of children’s books, adult fiction and nonfiction, poetry and plays. A year after the publication of her first adult novel in 1945, she married actor Hugh Franklin and moved to Connecticut. Thirteen years later, during a cross-country camping trip, L’Engle conceived of the idea for one of her most famous books for children, A Wrinkle in Time. The story of the smart-but-socially awkward Meg Murry, her precocious little brother Charles, and their fantastic adventures through space and time was followed by The Wind in the Door, A Swiftly Tilting Planet, Many Waters and An Acceptable Time; just five of the more than 60 Madeleine L’Engle books that have been published all told, many of which reflect both her Christian beliefs and her interest in science. The world of children’s book authors lost one of its brightest stars when Madeleine L’Engle passed away in September 2007.