A Wrinkle in Time
by Madeleine L'Engle
Recommended by Sheryl Sandberg and Danielle Morrill
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Reading Profile
Should I read this?
An imaginative, fast-starting middle-grade science-fiction adventure centered on a homesick young protagonist, a small family crisis, and sudden visitors who push the plot into cosmic territory. The best parts are bright, surreal set pieces and a clear emotional spine: loyalty and love anchor even the out-there ideas. The book's limitation is an often didactic voice and episodic middle passages where ideas are discussed at length, which can slow momentum for adult readers. Read as a nostalgic, idea-driven ride rather than a modern, tight thriller.
Read this if...
- •elementary-school teacher preparing a short unit on speculative fiction for 9–11 year-olds, because the chapters are short, the themes are direct, and it invites class discussion about courage and family.
- •parent looking for a read-aloud for a child who loves strange worlds and clear moral stakes, because the prose is vivid, the episodes are theatrical, and family relationships keep the stakes relatable.
- •teen or young-adult reader wanting earnest, idea-driven wonder rather than irony, because the book privileges imagination and emotional clarity over gritty realism or technical scientific detail.
Skip this if...
- •you'll likely put it down when the narrative pauses for long, didactic explanations and allegorical encounters that interrupt momentum.
- •annoying if you prefer hard science or subtle ambiguity—this leans into clear moral declarations and simplified explanations.
- •you'll lose interest if you want modern, fast-paced plotting or understated tone; the prose can feel sentimental and occasionally repetitive.
It was a dark and stormy night; Meg Murry, her small brother Charles Wallace, and her mother had come down to the kitchen for a midnight snack when they were upset by the arrival of a most disturbing stranger."Wild nights are my glory," the unearthly stranger told them. "I just got caught in a downdraft and blown off course. Let me sit down for a m...
Before You Buy
Reading Specifications
Difficulty:hard
Audience Fit
- elementary-school teacher preparing a short unit on speculative fiction for 9–11 year-olds, because the chapters are short, the themes are direct, and it invites class discussion about courage and family.
- parent looking for a read-aloud for a child who loves strange worlds and clear moral stakes, because the prose is vivid, the episodes are theatrical, and family relationships keep the stakes relatable.
- teen or young-adult reader wanting earnest, idea-driven wonder rather than irony, because the book privileges imagination and emotional clarity over gritty realism or technical scientific detail.
- you'll likely put it down when the narrative pauses for long, didactic explanations and allegorical encounters that interrupt momentum.
- annoying if you prefer hard science or subtle ambiguity—this leans into clear moral declarations and simplified explanations.
- you'll lose interest if you want modern, fast-paced plotting or understated tone; the prose can feel sentimental and occasionally repetitive.
Check formats, pricing, and availability options for Kindle, physical print, or audiobooks directly.
View available editions on AmazonKey themes
Why recommended
Recommended by 3 sources and appears in Fantasy, Childrens, and Time Travel.
Recommended by notable people
People and public figures who have recommended this book.
Recommendation Signals
Recommendation proof is sourced from public posts, interviews, reading lists, and cited references.
Sheryl Sandberg
“I wanted to be Meg Murry, the admittedly geeky heroine of A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle. I loved how she worked with others to fight against an unjust system and how she fought to save her family against very long odds. I was also captivated by the concept of time travel. I keep asking Facebook’s engineers to build me a tesseract so I, too, could fold the fabric of time and space. But so far no one has even tried.”
View sources (2) ▾80%
Appears In
Not sure if this is the right fit?
Consider The Giver by Lois Lowry. Recommended by 6 sources.
“Lois Lowry uses spare, plain prose to center a single conceit: a supposedly ideal community that controls emotion and memory. The story follows twelve-year-old Jonas as small revelations accumulate into a sharp ethical dilemma, which makes the book useful for conversation and classroom discussion. Its limitation is emotional restraint and deliberate vagueness—many details and characters stay underdefined—so readers who want rich sensory worldbuilding or a tidy conclusion may feel unsatisfied.”
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How recommendation signals are reviewed
Each recommendation is collected from a public source — interviews, articles, or curated lists — and linked to its original URL. Books with many verifiable recommendations from respected people rank higher.