Meet the Austins

Meet the Austins by Madeleine L'Engle, 1960 Farrar, Straus, and Giroux

     When their honorary uncle and his co-pilot die in a plane crash, the Austins take in the co-pilot's orphaned daughter, Maggy Hamilton. Maggy is spoiled rotten and causes chaos in the Austin household. Vicky, her older brother John, younger sister Suzy, and little brother Rob each are both the victim of Maggy's antics and the recipient of her lightning-quick affectionate outbursts.
     The story follows the incidents that transform Maggy and the Austin children, especially Vicky, during her time with the family. Maggy favors Suzy with attention further straining the relationship between Vicky and her sister. As the stories continue twelve-year-old Vicky becomes more aware of her actions and their consequences, just as Maggy comes to find her place in the Austin home.
     Unlike many of the other Austin Family stories, Meet the Austins is episodic and jumps from one point in time to another telling anecdotes as life changes for the Austin family. The younger characters relate better to younger readers focusing on older elementary and middle school readers.