NYC, 50 Years for A Wrinkle in Time, from Wired

Children’s Book Authors Celebrate the 50th Anniversary of A Wrinkle in Time

If you can't watch a scene of a spaceship flying into a wormhole without thinking of an ant walking along the folded hem of a dress, then you are probably as excited as I am that this is the 50th anniversary of the Newbery Medal-winning classic A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L’Engle.

When I read the book in elementary school, there was no science fiction to speak of aimed specifically at kids — and certainly none that featured a smart (if awkward) girl as the protagonist. The story of three children who set out (with a little extra-terrestrial help) to rescue the tesseracting scientist-father who has been captured by an evil force primed many young readers for a lifetime of space adventures.

On Saturday February 11th at 4 pm fans in the New York City area can attend the official national event celebrating the anniversary at Symphony Space. Writers and actors including Goosebumps author R.L. Stine and Jane Curtin from the scifi sitcom 3rd Rock from the Sun will read and discuss the book, led by New York Public Library Children’s Librarian and Fuse #8 blogger Betsy Bird. Children’s book historian Leonard Marcus will introduce the afternoon.

The event takes place at Symphony Space’s appropriately-named Leonard Nimoy Thalia Theater. All tickets are just $15 — but if you can’t make it there in person, it will also be simulcast to select bookstores around the country.