The Journal

Issue date: 9/20/07 Section: Opinion/Editorial

It was the summer before I went to middle school that I first discovered Madeleine L'Engle. I was pretty nervous about the big change in schools and I turned to books as a refuge like so many children do.

The little library in my hometown of Evansville, Ind., had a summer reading program that advertised L'Engle's books. I picked up "Meet the Austins," a novel about a young girl named Vicky Austin and her family. I identified with Vicky right away; her love for life and uncertainty of the future - but stubborn pride - made me yearn to read more about her. L'Engle's writing meant so much to me as a young girl that I sometimes incorporated aspects of her characters into my own life.

Luckily, I discovered the books in the Austin series were written mostly before I was born and were all available at the library. Next, I picked up "Troubling a Star" and "A Ring of Endless Light" (my favorite). As Vicky grew up, so did I. L'Engle's brilliant coming-of-age series helped me get through the difficulties of an era where we're all awkward and trying to figure out where we fit in.

L'Engle passed away Sept. 6 at the age of 88 in a nursing home in Connecticut. She lived a long life helping children mature through her writing. I can't think of a more fulfilling life than that of enabling children to dream.

She was best known for her quartet of books on time travel, including "A Wrinkle in Time" for which she won a Newberry Medal. The other books in the series are "A Wind in the Door," "A Swiftly Tilting Planet" and "Many Waters."

Like many young adult fiction writers, L'Engle touched on the subjects that readers were dealing with at that time. What made her stand out was her ability to write about a plethora of subjects such as time travel, fantasy, science fiction, romance and youth, combining them together in stories that even adults pick up and enjoy.

Most of L'Engle's main characters were girls; she allowed her characters to have extraordinary lives. They did not just sit around letting things happen to them; they went out and made things happen.

In the Austin series, Vicky travels all over the world, visiting places and doing things most little girls only dream about doing. That was the beauty of L'Engle's work, and that's what inspired me so much. If Vicky could do so much, why couldn't I? Of course, logistics were in the way as a child, but her stories stayed with me until I actually did get the opportunity to travel.

L'Engle was a rare jewel of a writer. She incorporated her own experiences with her dreams. Her passion was expressed through a medium that hopefully will never die out. Young adults will be able to learn from her for many years to come

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