This is one of the most beloved children’s novels of all time, so I know L’Engle doesn’t need my review. However, I have never felt so decidedly “meh” about a book, maybe ever. If I received a survey about this book, I might give it all 5’s, or N/As.

I decided to re-read this book because I am 90% certain I read it in the 4-6 grade range and remembered nothing about it. Upon re-reading it, there was nothing familiar to me about it, so that is why I gave it a 90% confidence rating. Maybe I felt as “meh” about it then as I do now.

A fourth or fifth grader could definitely comprehend this. And maybe even enjoy it. To me, it is starting to feel a bit outdated, even though it is still very sci-fi and conceptual. The children’s banter seems kind of old school, so a child of today might not related well to Meg, Charles and Calvin. I’ll be honest, I glossed over some of the pages just to keep it moving.

I guess this isn’t the type of book I would choose for myself as a child. And apparently my opinion as at odds with millions of other readers, as well as literary critics who awarded this book the Newbury Medal. I suppose that in its day this book presented some rather revolutionary concepts, and did so in a way that even kids could understand. I stand by my fourth grade self with a big yawn and shrug of the shoulders.