Remember this book as a child? I dug it out for my 9 year-old and he just loved it. We looked up on Amazon to see if there was anything else written by the author and were pleasantly surprised to see that this was a series of five books. He whipped through this series and LOVED it. I will also say that the updated boxed set is great--I know you're not supposed to judge a book by its cover, but these are just adorable, even though they're paperback. A fine update from a wonderful classic--and it looks cute on the shelf, too.

Madeleine L'Engle's "Time Quintet" has long been a staple of young adult literature. The earthy nature of her characters makes you want to follow them on their travels around the quaint Murry farm and, indeed, around the universe. "A Wrinkle in Time" is the cornerstone of the quintet. In it, we meet the Murry's quirky and original family and soon are wishing it was our own--as Calvin does. The scientific idea of the book involves tessering, or wrinkling, time. The more imaginitive setting is the war against "the darkness" seeking to envelop planets. "A Wind in the Door" is a little more difficult as it explores the differences or implications of "being" versus "non-being and the satanic Ecthroi and their war on the universe at ALL levels--even as tiny (size doesn't matter) as a farandola. "A Swiftly Tilting Planet" is a beautiful picture of what can happen when we charge the universe and place ourselves in the gap at times of great need. In ASTP, we find out more about the O'Keefe side of the family and the inhabitants around the star-watching rock many, many years before the Murrys come onto the scene. "Many Waters" is also a beautifully layered book looking at the pre-flood era of Noah and his family. Finally, we get to know more about Sandy and Dennys! They prove to be more that "just kids" as they begin to fit right in, help Noah with his Ark project, and gain the love of Noah's generation. Many great "what-if's" here. Lastly, we have "An Acceptable Time" which follows Polly O'Keefe (Meg and Calvin's firstborn) as she travels through time to the People of the Wind that lived around the Murry's land 3,000 years before they did. Through all her travails, she discovers that her gift and many other things must wait for "An Acceptable Time."

This is arguably one of the best series ever written for adolescents. (I would say 10-16 years old, depending on the child.) They are beautifully written allegorical novels that teach good values without being preachy. I remember them well from reading them over 20 years ago, and bought this set for my daughter's collection. She is 5 months old now, and I am reading them to her(she does not care what we read). I hope that in time she will read them herself.

Ok - I love this series and hate to see it bashed by someone who doesn't read well. Clearly this set states that it is paperback. Clearly it is a charming set of books, as it always was. Miss Kristin, I hope you pay more attention next time you buy your books!

good books. i remembered them from when i was in elementary school. i still like them. i particularly wanted paperbacks so they would be lighter since i was bringing the books with me on a long trip.

I am disappointed because your description clearly states that this was a hard cover book set. There was no picture for me to enlarge to check out before purchasing. I wanted to give these to my daughter for her 30th birthday because one of the few memories she has of her father from her childhood is of him reading A Wrinkle in Time and A Swiftly Tilting Planet to her and her brother. I wanted her to be able to do the same for her own child now that she is a parent so I really wanted her to have the hard cover books. Then she could pass them down to him later in life. Well, that isn't going to happen because these are paperback books, and they are in a pasteboard case. NOT the deal that was advertised by any means.