Beginning with those famous words “it was a dark and stormy night,” A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L’engle remains as readable as when it was first published in 1962.  A Newberry Medal winner, it mixes science fiction, fantasy, philosophy and religion in an interstellar adventure that will appeal to both children and adults.

Plot:  Meg Murry’s father has been missing for over a year and it weighs heavily on her family.  She, her genius younger brother Charles Wallace, and friend Calvin O’keefe find themselves visited by three strange women.  Cloaked in rags and white robes, Mrs. Who, Mrs. Which and Mrs. Whatsit “tesser” the three children across the universe to a planet that is being consumed by a dark force.  Known only as IT, this power seeks to dominate societies into a collective conformity.  Meg and her companions must avoid the tempation of being sucked in by IT while rescuing Mr. Murry.

I love this book because it celebrates the triumph of love, creativity and intellectualism over the forces of darkness.  A wonderful read for children ages 8 to 13.