A Wind in the Door (Paperback)

by Madeleine L'Engle (Author), Jody A. Lee (Illustrator) "There are dragons in the twins' vegetable garden..." (more)
Key Phrases: Charles Wallace, Louise the Larger, Jenkins Three (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
"There are dragons in the twins' vegetable garden," announces six-year-old Charles Wallace Murry in the opening sentence of The Wind in the Door. His older sister, Meg, doubts it. She figures he's seen something strange, but dragons--a "dollop of dragons," a "drove of dragons," even a "drive of dragons"--seem highly unlikely. As it turns out, Charles Wallace is right about the dragons--though the sea of eyes (merry eyes, wise eyes, ferocious eyes, kitten eyes, dragon eyes, opening and closing) and wings (in constant motion) is actually a benevolent cherubim (of a singularly plural sort) named Proginoskes who has come to help save Charles Wallace from a serious illness.

In her usual masterful way, Madeleine L'Engle jumps seamlessly from a child's world of liverwurst and cream cheese sandwiches to deeply sinister, cosmic battles between good and evil. Children will revel in the delectably chilling details--including hideous scenes in which a school principal named Mr. Jenkins is impersonated by the Echthroi (the evil forces that tear skies, snuff out light, and darken planets). When it becomes clear that the Echthroi are putting Charles Wallace in danger, the only logical course of action is for Meg and her dear friend Calvin O'Keefe to become small enough to go inside Charles Wallace's body--into one of his mitochondria--to see what's going wrong with his farandolae. In an illuminating flash on the interconnectedness of all things and the relativity of size, we realize that the tiniest problem can have mammoth, even intergalactic ramifications. Can this intrepid group voyage through time and space and muster all their strength of character to save Charles Wallace? It's an exhilarating, enlightening, suspenseful journey that no child should miss.

The other books of the Time quartet, continuing the adventures of the Murry family, are A Wrinkle in Time; A Swiftly Tilting Planet, which won the American Book Award; and Many Waters. (Ages 9 and older) --Karin Snelson

Review
"The chief characters of...A Wrinkle in Time return in a complex sci-fi/fantasy adventure...Meg and Calvin O'Keefe are enlisted again to fight evil, this time in the shape of the Echthroi, which are spreading through the universe."-Starred, School Library Journal
-- Review --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9-12
  
• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Yearling (March 15, 1974)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0440487617
• ISBN-13: 978-0440487616
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (121 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #523,944 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars They face the wind, September 9, 2004

By	E. R. Bird "Ramseelbird" (Manhattan, NY) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

One of those books where you scan it from cover to cover and then discover that you still don't know what the title means. Following up the massive success of her phenomenal "A Wrinkle in Time", authoress extraordinaire L'Engle decided to stretch her literary muscles a little further with the sequel "A Wind in the Door". Drawing more heavily on Christian imagery and themes than its predecessor, "A Wind in the Door" is a remarkable effort. Combining metaphysics, Old Testament creations, and the microcosmic building blocks of life, in this book we learn that sometimes growing up and getting older is necessary. Think of this story as the anti-Peter Pan, if you will.

Making zippo references to any of the plot points in "A Wrinkle In Time" (with the exception of an oblique mention of Earth as a shadowed planet and some brief background on Meg's relationship with Calvin), we once again meet our oh-so normal protagonist Meg Murry. She dotes on her little brother Charles Wallace quite a bit, but when he suddenly makes an announcement one day that there are dragons in the garden she's reasonably confused. Meg's had a lot on her mind lately too. There's the fact that Charles has been getting beaten up regularly at school and he's been strangely ill as well. As it turns out, Charles Wallace's condition is cause for concern on a particularly cosmic scale. Before she knows it, Meg has joined forces with a cherubim (a particularly Revelation-like creature made of all eyes and wings), a snake, a man from another world, her beloved boyfriend Calvin, and (most strangely) her former elementary school principal Mr. Jenkins. Together, this motley crew must do battle in the cells of Charles Wallace's very mitochondria, fighting against the evil Echthroi (a kind of fallen angels).

What I've always liked about Madeleine L'Engle's Christian infused tales is that they don't bop you over the head with didacticism. I mean, compare this book with (oh, say) C.S. Lewis's "The Last Battle". In both cases adept writers have conjured up magical worlds and creatures for young readers. Yet while Lewis ends up sending kids messages like "use make-up and you won't get into heaven" (paraphrased but definitely a message in the final Narnia tale), L'Engle sends the message "love is the saving grace". Which would you rather read? Better yet, which would you prefer for your children?

I did find it a little odd that Meg was continually astounded by fantastical events in this tale. I mean, doesn't she remember the oddities that occurred to her in "A Wrinkle In Time"? After you've faced down a gigantic evil pulsating brain, I'd think ANYTHING would strike you as possible. Still, this is a great book to introduce to those readers who never got around to "A Wrinkle". It doesn't really require any explanation or backstory. I also particularly enjoyed the science introduced in this book. If you've a kid that loves science but is also into fantasy, this book is a perfect match. From it I've just learned that mitochondria have their own DNA. Who knew? L'Engle. That's who.

Looking back on it, when I was a kid I tended to skim through books that bored me, and this tale certainly fit the bill. Still, reading it again today I think that if I'd just stuck with it, I could have really enjoyed it. And I truly believe that some kids reading it today will love it through and through. I mean, in what other tale are you going to come to the undeniable conclusion that partying is in our genes? If you'd like a good book with a strong (but human and flawed) female protagonist that I think almost every kid can identify with, this book's for you. Keep it close to your heart at all times.

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A vintage L'Engle blend of science and spirituality., December 6, 2001

By	"kaia_espina" (Quezon City, Philippines) - See all my reviews

In the first of the "Kairos" books, "A Wrinkle in Time", Madeleine L'Engle took Meg Murry, Charles Wallace Murry, and Calvin O'Keefe on a quest through the macrocosm of time and space. In this second book, "A Wind in the Door", she adds an even deeper dimension to her fictional world--which she makes as real to us as our world, sometimes even more real--by sending them on a journey into the microcosm of the human body.

How is it possible for a human being to enter a human body, you may ask, as did the still-irritable, yet still-lovable, Meg Murry. In a special class that teaches universal truths, rather than the imports and exports of Nicaragua, Meg, Calvin, Mr. Jenkins, and the also-human readers will meet a cherubim who has memorized the names of the stars . . . speak to a farandola inside one of Charles Wallace's cells . . . watch the birth of a star "small" enough to hold in a human hand . . . and ultimately learn that size, number, order, and anything that can be measured does not matter.

What do matter are names, for "He knows them all by name" . . . even the little stars so far away from inhabited planets that only those who see without eyes know their names. The loss of a star is no more and no less tragic to the Universe than the death of a young boy. Everything we does matters. Everything we touch sends ripples into the cosmos--the cosmos within and the cosmos without. This time, the mission is to save Charles Wallace's life. Annihilators called the Echthroi want to X him, as they want to X everything else in the Universe. As the book's characters were bound to fight them in the story, we are bound to fight them in real life. This is adventure on a grand scale!

Though the literary critic in me sees a lot of less-than-perfect elements in this novel, I still gave "A Wind in the Door" five stars because what matters most about it is its message. L'Engle's plot twists and fictional inventions make even me raise my eyebrows a few times, but her passion never fails to captivate me. Without fail, it draws me into a world too real to be imaginary and gives me faith in my own world.

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Saving a Life, January 22, 2000

By A Customer

I read the book, "A Wind in the Door". This book may be confusing for those who have not read the previous book, "A Wrinkle in Time"; although, the author added some reference as to what went on in "A Wrinkle in Time" and included much detail to insure I knew what was going on. I loved this book because it left me wondering what is, or can be, possible. It could bring the imagination back to people who have lost theirs. This book brings you out of your own world, to one much smaller. A world where time and size do not matter. One in which the only way to see, is through your own mind, and the only way to talk to others - they may be many miles away - is by talking through your mind. Because this is the sequel of "A Wrinkle in Time", it involves some of the same characters and adds several more. The main characters of "A Wrinkle in Time" - Meg, Charels Wallace, and Calvin - have had adventures that have brought them onto different planets and out of this universe, but never have they had such an adventure as this. Nor did they think of ever having one like this taking place on their own planet! However, there is a "drive of dragons" or a cherubim who, with his teacher, Blajeny, must come from a different planet to help the sick child, Charles Wallace. I highly recommend this book for anyone, between the ages of 8-15, who enjoys science fiction books and loves books that you "just can't put down".