Reviews

Gr 5-9‘This recording completes Madeleine L'Engle's reading of the time travel trilogy that includes A Wrinkle in Time (FS&G, 1962) and A Wind in the Door (FS&G, 1973). Fans of the earlier works will avidly follow the further adventures of the O'Keefe family as they embark on a 24-hour quest to stop the destruction of the world by dictator "Mad Dog Branzillo." with the help of an ancient rune, the assistance of a wise and fearless unicorn, and the use of "kything" ( a type of especially acute telepathic communication), 15-year-old Charles Wallace attempts to trace the connections over time and generations that have led to Branzillo's rise to power. L'Engle uses essentially the same voice throughout the reading, which sometimes makes it difficult to know who is speaking. In addition, a slight lisp and a tendency to overemphasize sibilant sounds detract from the quality of the listening experience. This is an example of a recording where the material is wonderful but would have been more effectively presented by a professional narrator rather an by the author. Nevertheless, most public libraries will want to purchase this due to L'Engle's continued popularity among upper elementary and junior high school students.‘Cindy Lombardo, Ashland Public Library, OH