Fighting the Echthroi

In elementary school we watched filmstrips in the library. Though "The Rats of NIHM" was great, my favorite by far was "A Wrinkle in Time." I was so captivated by the thought of fighting evil that my best friend and I (the fabulous Francie in Belgium, though at the time she still went by Heidi) created an entire world of our own - He & She, Him & Her, giant water battles in my pool, epic scenes acted out in the pine trees by the tot lot at Chadwick Elementary School. We even tried to learn to kythe which each other (like telepathy). I can't remember the first time i read that book; it's like i have always known the story of Meg and Calvin and Charles Wallace. It was one of the first books I was given in school where we were encouraged to write in the book, mark quotes we liked and underline passages as we acted out scenes and wrote reports (it was 5th grade and though it was a public school I was part of the pilot G/T program where we got to keep the books). I still have that copy; i still READ that copy. It might be one of my favorite books ever, along with its sequels A Wind in the Door and A Swiftly Tilting Planet. Their author Madeleine L'Engle passed away yesterday. I mourn her loss, but am grateful to have her precious books that helped shape who I am. http://entertainment.msn.com/news/article.aspx?news=274750&GT1=7701