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.