The Ocean at the end of the lane

 

This is one of Gaiman's best. It's a gothic like tale about an outcast boy who becomes friends with a peculiar family called the Hempstocks after his father begins an affair with his babysitter who more or less is a monster literally. This was my third time reading the book. I like how it was short and to the point. I can't figure out which one I liked better Coraline or this. I heard once that this was going to become a movie with Tom Hanks. That would have been cool but that never happened. It's not exactly a kid's book since it has sexual elements in it even though it is seen through a kid's eyes. It kind of reminds of me movies like The Reflecting Skin that combine both elements. Simply amazing. 

Among others

 

This science-fiction book was ok. It had a subplot with fairies that I wasn't that interested in. The character was really into science fiction. In fact, she joins a book group devoted to science fiction. The author was very enthusiastic about science fiction and I added a lot of the books that she discussed onto my goodreads books to read list. There's also a bad guy in her science fiction group that she falls for. I also liked the relationship between the main character and her estranged father.

The Youngest Doll

 

This was a pretty cool book of feminist stories from the Latin American author Rosario Ferre. My favorite story was"The Youngest Doll" where an aunt makes all her nieces dolls as a wedding present. For the youngest niece, she makes a doll filled with honey. The girl finds her husband only really wanted her as a trophy. "Amalia" is an interesting story too about a girl who is infatuated with a chauffeur and fights off the advances of her uncle. I need to be more multicultural with my reading. There is no doubt that this book will get another reading maybe in a year or two.

A Wind in the Door

 

This sequel wasn't as great as A Wrinkle in Time but it was still good. This was mostly due to the fact that the characters are fully developed, likable people. Meg's brother Charles has been getting bullied lately. Meg tries to convince the principal Mr. Jenkins of her brother's situation but there seems to be no hope. Meanwhile, their scientist mother has realized that Charles has a problem with his mitochondria. This is where I think the book gets creative. It makes up a scientific reason for his bad health. It says that the farandolae in his mitochondria is making him sick. This is, of course, a made-up term but it works in the book and it becomes believable. The part of the book I liked the best was when Meg had to choose who the real Mr. Jenkins was. She had to choose between two false identities and the real one. All of them seem alike but Meg had to take her hatred of the principal aside to have the real one revealed to her. I thought this was pretty imaginative and a good moral lesson.  It's interesting how L'Engle managed to put science in children's literature but not do it in a tedious way. Unlike a lot of children's writers, she gives kids a lot of credit thinking they can take on such complicated concepts. 

A Wrinkle in Time

 

This book deserves so much more. A better movie definitely but also more recognition. Yes, it's one of the most beloved children's books of the past 50 years. Yet there's a snobbery involved with adult books as if adult content all of a sudden makes a book more mature and considerate of praise.  This book is complicated using scientific concepts like a fifth dimension but it also has interesting characters. Meg meets three eccentric women Mrs. Whatsit, Mrs. Who, and Mrs. Which who aid her in finding her lost father. I really liked reading about the planet where all the children have to play their balls in sync. It was creepy so was the takeover of Meg's brother Charles. This book is unique. I feel in general that children's books have improved over the years but still you rarely find a book as stellar as A Wrinkle in Time and I'm going to reread the trilogy again.  Also, this was the book that the gifted children read in the fourth grade of my elementary school again. I never bothered with it. I figured that I would just fail because of my mathematical skills but at least they chose a great book to match the kids.