20 Bad Books To Give To Young Kids

Credit Courtesy of Random House Children’s Books

1. A Wrinkle in Time

Now, before I start in on A Wrinkle in Time, know that I really, truly love this book. Other people do, too. It’s won a Newbery Medal, along with the Sequoyah Book Award, and Lewis Carroll Shelf Award. It’s a complex book that encourages a lot of deep thought in its young readers, not to mention the fact that it’s well written. I would heartily recommend it to any kid who’s at the right level. That said, it can get pretty strange.

A Wrinkle in Time features Meg Murry, the daughter of two scientists and sister to twins Charles and Sandy, as well as Charles Wallace, youngest brother and child prodigy. Their father has mysteriously disappeared, causing great strife in their personal lives.

The Murrys have some equally mysterious neighbors, who appear to be three old women name, respectively, Mrs. Whatsit, Mrs. Who, and Mrs. Which. The three tell the Murrys that a “tesseract” is a real thing, and soon dive into an explanation of philosophy, physics, and time travel. It also turns out that the three are supernatural centaur-like beings who can transport throughout the universe.

Meg, Charles Wallace, and a neighbor boy named Charles O’Keefe are transported by the three neighbors in order to save Meg and Charles’ father. Eventually, they land on Camazotz, a planet dominated by an evil force known simply as the Black Thing. The planet is also controlled by a malevolent disembodied brain called “IT”. In the end, Meg saves the day through the power of love and her sibling bond with Charles Wallace.

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Ultimately, A Wrinkle in Time has a wonderful message about kindness and love in a dark universe. Kids will just have to work through some of the necessarily frightening imagery to get there.