A Wind in the Door

A Wind in the Door by Madeleine L'Engle, 1973 Ferrar, Straus & Giroux

   After the events of A Wrinkle in Time Meg, Charles Wallace, and Calvin are back in their world where Charles Wallace is suffering from a progressive disease thought to be caused by his mitochondria. Meg is worried about her brother and finds his new school principal is the high school's former principal (Meg thinks Mr. Jenkins has a grudge against her family when he refuses to help with Charles Wallace's bullying). When he appears in the Murrys' back yard, Meg, Charles Wallace, and Calvin encounter a Cherubim named Proginoskes, whom they nickname Progo. The three children and the winged mass of a cherub discover they have been called to learn from the Teachers Blajeny and Louise the Larger, a tall robed man and snake who lives in the Murry family's walls.
     The group learns about Echthroi, a group of creatures trying to un-make the universe by Un-Naming the things that create it. To stop the Echthroi from unmaking Mr. Jenkins Meg must distinguish him from two doubles and find a connection to the good in him. They discover that Charles Wallace's troubles are caused by the Echthroi's efforts to convince his mitochondrial farandola not to mature. Meg and Calvin travel into one of Charles Wallace's mitochondria, named Yadah, and convince the immature fara to take root and mature. Meg is very nearly Un-Named, but she and Calvin are successful. When Mr. Jenkins is almost invaded by his doubles Progo volunteers to fill the emptiness that is the Echthroi, sacrificing himself to return everything to normal and save the universe.
     Like many of Madeleine L'Engle's works, the language of A Wind in the Door can be difficult for younger readers, but the struggle between light and dark is a common theme in youth literature. Readers in middle to late elementary may need help with the reading, but are a good audience for the story itself. Older readers might find Meg's concerns for Charles Wallace overbearing and the worries of an overly concerned sister, however bullying is a largely ignored theme and mainly serves to introduce Mr. Jenkins. A Wind in the Door is a good read for any age.