Monday, September 15, 2008

Book Review: Meet the Austins


Title: Meet the Austins
Author: Madeleine L’Engle
Publisher: Square Fish (September 2008, copyright 1960)
Category: Fiction, Young Adult

My rating: *****
My favorite book when I was young was Ring of Endless Light by Madeleine L’ Engle. That and A Wrinkle in Time remain in my top all time favorite books, so when I started working at Macmillan and saw that we publish the Meet the Austins series in which Ring of Endless Light is the 4th, I got really excited and picked up all the free copies I could find. I’m still searching for The Young Unicorns.

In Meet the Austins, the reader is introduced to a wonderful family with four kids, two dogs and numerous cats. Vicky Austin, the narrator, is the second oldest, and her innocent, child-like yet reflective and introspective voice give the book a sense of something deeper, beyond the simple happy family picture that is painted. The family love and dynamic is wonderful though, and personally, I wouldn’t mind if my family turns out just like them.

I don’t know if it’s because I haven’t read the other books in many years, but this one seems well-suited for even younger readers than Wrinkle or Ring. I loved it though :-)

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