The Anti-Muffins

Austin Family Chronicles #1.5

by Madeleine L'Engle, Gloria Ortiz (Illustrator)

John Austin calls a meeting of the Anti-Muffin club after little Maggy Hamilton distinguishes herself in a spectacular Sunday School brawl.

Genres: Fiction, Young Adult, Childrens, Fantasy, Literary Fiction, Middle Grade, Short Stories

48 pages, Hardcover

First published February 1, 1981

About the author

Madeleine L'Engle was an American writer of fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and young adult fiction, including A Wrinkle in Time and its sequels: A Wind in the Door, A Swiftly Tilting Planet, Many Waters, and An Acceptable Time. Her works reflect both her Christian faith and her strong interest in modern science.

Reviews

[Manybooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

First published in 1980 as an independent piece of short fiction, and part of Madeleine l'Engle's Austin Family series, The Anti-Muffins should really be considered as the "missing chapter" of the first book, Meet the Austins (left out of the published novel in 1960, or rather, it was deemed prudent by the publisher not to include it).

So yes, I am indeed pleased that since 1997, The Anti-Muffins chapter is generally included within the novel, within Meet the Austins (and remain both annoyed and really quite flabbergasted that Madeleine l'Engle was asked to remove the entire chapter, but considering the time period, and some of the issues presented, such the fighting John and Maggy engage in, and the fact that the Austin children create an actual club to promote ethnic diversity and protest general attitudes of to them unacceptable adult behaviours and attitudes, perhaps not all that surprising either).

But just to say that I actually do NOT believe you are reading only part of Meet the Austins if your copy of the novel indeed does not contain The Anti-Muffins. However, if this happens to be the case (and it generally will be the case with editions published prior to 1997), you should at least consider reading The Anti-Muffins separately (it is generally considered to be the fifth chapter), as The Anti-Muffins is both interesting in and of itself (and for its time rather majorly avant garde) and it certainly does tie up some rather loose ends, especially with regard to Maggy and her increasing level of acceptance by and in the Austin clan (as well as by their friends and acquaintances, by the members of the anti-Muffin Club).

[Kricket · Rating 3 out of 5]

my love of the austin family led me to interloan this book, a short story written for a younger audience than "meet the austins." chronologically it fits right after the events in that book.

this was a reasonably entertaining, if slightly preachy and ridiculously outdated, little visit with the austin family.

i'm amazed that a public library is still circulating this little number in the j section. it's part of a series called "The Education of the Public and the Public School: A Monograph Series of the UNITED CHURCH BOARD FOR HOMELAND MINISTRIES" and opens with a long and boring introduction explaining its inclusion in the series. just what all the kids want to read!

[Kirsten · Rating 3 out of 5]

This isn't even a novella - more a short story about the joys of non-conformity. If you've read Meet the Austins , more than half of this book is repetitive exposition. Still, not bad - if a little dated.

[Chris Whisonant · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good short story with a great moral.

[Rebecca · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a quaint story of day-to-day life with the Austins. The brief introduction to anti-muffins versus muffiny people could have easily been expanded on, making this a perfect book to tell children it's okay to be themselves.

Although the book is listed as 4.5 in the series, I find it fits better chronologically directly after "Meet the Austins." Having already read the second book in the series, it felt a bit like moving backwards. I'd recommend if you plan on reading this series to treat "The Anti-Muffins" as book 1.5 in the series.

[Kate H · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have read every Madeleine L'Engle novel and while I like some much better than others I enjoy all of them at least in part. This is not one of my favorite books by her but it is still quite good. Her writing style always engages me and I find at least one character in every one of her books that I can relate to in some way.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was originally a stand-alone but was incorporated into later version of Meet the Austins as a chapter. The illustrations and very cute. The meaning of the story is also cute, if not very well explained/clear. I get the point, but the telling is not so easy to follow, and I've read it several times.

[Becky · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book was fine .I read it because it was next in line in the Aston family books .but it’s exactly the same as the ending in the first book meet the Austins
so I must’ve had an edition that had the anti-muffins as part of it because it was very short

[Janet Cline · Rating 5 out of 5]

a short story of the Austins

[Leisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Re-reading books from my childhood collection. Book #28. Rating based on my past affection for the book and warm fuzziness of memory.

[CML · Rating 5 out of 5]

This little gem isn't easy to come by, but it's worth looking for. It's part of the Austin family series, and is technically a children's book. If you're wondering what an antimuffin is, this is the book that will tell you.

[Eireanne · Rating 2 out of 5]

A really short story that goes to explain something that was mentioned in passing in a previous Austin series book.

[Shelby Letner · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read it if you like the Austins.

[Tory · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was disappointed that this was just a chapter excerpted from one of her Austin Family books!

[Mckinley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This short piece is also told in another book in the series.