Intergalactic P.S. 3

Time Quintet

by Madeleine L'Engle, Hope Larson (Illustrator)

Visit the world of A Wrinkle in Time in this new standalone chapter book story!

This standalone chapter book gives young readers the perfect entry into the world of Madeleine L'Engle's A Wrinkle in Time, and lifelong fans of the Time Quintet will recognize characters and settings from A Wind in the Door, the second book in the beloved series. Thoughtful, adventurous, and unique, Intergalactic P.S. 3 is a stunning story of the power of love to span the universe.

Charles Wallace Murry is old enough to start school, but his sister, Meg, and their friend Calvin know he isn't cut out for school on Earth--Meg worries that he'll be more misunderstood than ever. Luckily, with the help of the three celestial creatures Mrs Whatsit, Mrs Who, and Mrs Which, there is another place where Charles Wallace can get his education: Intergalactic P.S. 3, a public school in a completely different galaxy. The three children travel through time and space to reach the school, but for them all to make it home safely, Meg must undergo a test that will challenge her inner strength, her perspective, and her ability to protect the ones she loves.

Genres: Fantasy, Science Fiction, Middle Grade, Fiction, Young Adult, Childrens, Audiobook

112 pages, Paperback

First published February 6, 2018

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

[RuthAnn · Rating 1 out of 5]

I read Intergalactic P.S. 3 the day I got it, and I finished it in one go, which means I’ve been siting on these thoughts for 10 days. So, I’m cringing here, because I really did not like it. Clicking that 1 star was painful for me. The cover says that this is “a Wrinkle in Time story,” and yes, it involves Meg, Charles Wallace, and Calvin. However, in my opinion, the story feels more like an early draft of A Wind in the Door. In general, I have a hard time with posthumous publications. I don’t have high confidence that the author intended the work to be published at all, and even if so, perhaps not in the form it takes. I’m even more leery of posthumous publication for Madeleine books. She was so prolific in her career and had access to so many different genres that I can’t imagine she had some languishing Great Work that was as yet undiscovered. In this case, it’s not just that Intergalactic P.S. 3 doesn’t add to the Wrinkle world; I think it takes away from the story in A Wind in the Door. If someone asks me about this story, I will encourage that person to skip it altogether and read A Wind in the Door. Basically, if you have read that book, it will spoil this story for you, and vice versa. It just makes me sad.

[Manybooks · Rating 2 out of 5]

Albeit the book cover for the published in 2018 (and thus of course posthumously since Madeleine L'Engle died in 2007) and illustrated by Hope Larson chapter book Intergalactic P.S. 3 says that Intergalactic P.S. 3 should be considered as an A Wrinkle in Time story conceptulised with younger readers in mind (and which Madeleine L'Engle originally seems to have penned in 1970), while Intergalactic P.S. 3 does indeed feature Meg and Charles Wallace Murry as well as their mutual friend Calvin O'Keefe as primary characters, honestly and to and for me with Intergalactic P.S. 3, it (the presented story) really does not remind me all that much of A Wrinkle in Time but instead feels mostly and weirdly like an early work-in-progress Madeleine L'Engle draft of the second of the Murry Family novels, of a A Wind in the Door. And with an early work-in-progress draft I mean that Intergalactic P.S. 3 is at best like reading Madeleine L'Engle's outline for A Wind in the Door, with the basic ideas and themes of course textually present and accounted for, but with there really not being any true narrative meat to be found, with Intergalactic P.S. 3 showing woefully incomplete and lacking in nuance and subtlety scenarios and characters, and in particular with Charles Wallace Murry being presented by Madeleine L'Engle in Intergalactic P.S. 3 mostly as horribly smug and annoying and not at all like the precocious but generally sweet and likeable little boy that the complete and polished A Wind in the Door gives to us as readers (so I guess I could probably say that with regard to his attitudes of smug superiority, Charles Wallace Murry does perhaps feel in Intergalactic P.S. 3 like how he often appears in A Wrinkle in Time but that the story itself for Intergalactic P.S. 3 is basically pretty much like a seriously watered down version of A Wind in the Door).

Combined with the fact that I also do have huge issues with Intergalactic P.S. 3 being published more than a decade after Madeleine L'Engle's death, since there is really no way of knowing how L'Engle herself would feel about this in my opinion rather subpar and pale reflection of A Wind in the Door being used to introduce young readers to the Murry Family and to the Time Quartet universe, and that with regard to Hope Larson's artwork, I am having the same profoundly negative aesthetic visual reaction as I did to Larson's graphic novel adaptation of A Wrinkle in Time, NO INDEED, I absolutely have neither enjoyed nor even managed to appreciate Intergalactic P.S. 3. And frankly, I do thus and in fact also think that Intergalactic P.S. 3 actually majorly takes away from Madeleine L'Engle's storytelling magic, that it might well end up rather spoiling A Wind in the Door for someone who has not yet read and encountered it (which is both sad and should certainly be avoided) and that my two star rating for Intergalactic P.S. 3 is actually quite generous and is happening only because I do feel rather horrible for Madeleine L'Engle having something published posthumously (and therefore also beyond her control).

[Megan Brumley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story is interesting to read because the author is working out ideas that would later become the 2nd book in the Wrinkle quintet- The Wind in the Door. As an adult, you can read this in about 20 minutes. I would highly recommend reading the first two books in the Wrinkle quintet first, then reading this story to see the writing process and enjoy the first drafts of the excellent book “The Wind in the Door”.

[Christian · Rating 2 out of 5]

This feels like a very early unpublished draft of A Wind in the Door, with nearly all of the same characters and plot threads (except Mer-boy - I really want to know more about him and what the author had planned for him!) Of course, A Wind in the Door is so much better, but it's interesting to see L'Engle's thought processes and preliminary ideas while writing it!

[Ash · Rating 3 out of 5]

Illustrations 3.5, story 2.25.

[Renata · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm not really sure who this is for? It seems like it would be confusing to a child who was too young to read the original Wrinkle in Time books. I see it was originally published as a kind of bonus short story and that seems like...where it should remain tbh. Or if they really wanted to publish this as its own thing maybe have Hope Larson adapt it into a full graphic novel instead of the illustrated...long...picture book...thing that it currently is?

like listen I'm very sorry that Madeleine L'Engle is dead too but let's leave her old drafts/short stories be.

[J.L. Neyhart · Rating 3 out of 5]

I LOVE the Time Quintet by Madeleine L'Engle. But this really does just feel like an early draft of an early chapter for the 2nd book, A Wind in the Door. I still liked it, simply because of how much I love the world she created. But I can understand why some people are giving it only one or two stars.

[Courtney · Rating 1 out of 5]

It feels like an early draft of a chapter of A Wind In The Door...with almost the exact scene of the Mr Jenkins test. Its really pointless if you have read that amazing book. Apparently this was actually published in 1970. My guess is that it was originally going to be 3 stories but then L'Engle decided to write a novel instead, and thank goodness she did! Definitely feel free to skip this one.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cute little story where the Mrs. Ws send Meg, Calvin and Charles Wallace off planet to start school. Meg is afraid Charles will be unhappy going to the local school, since he is seen as so "different". Includes a repetition of the "identify Mr. Jenkins" test for Meg. A nice addition to the Time series!

[Thunderbirdz0 · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ehhh just filler. Unnecessary.

[Carolyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a short story L’Engle wrote for an event. A significant amount of it was recycled from passages in the Time series. I am always delighted to see Meg and Calvin and Charles Wallace, but this was pretty underwhelming. If you aren’t familiar with the series, don’t start here!

[Joanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am not exactly sure why this was published. It is a watered down and altered version of the plot of A Wind in the Door. I see how one might want to adapt the books to a younger audience, but why only this story? It cannot fit strictly into cannon because it has been altered in significant ways, so why alter it in this way? I found the changes fun--there's an intergalactic school, we get to meet all kinds of other creatures, etc., but this book's existence just doesn't make sense to me.

[Beverly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Published in 1970, and now re-released with new artwork by Hope Larson.
Interesting story, but not quite as good as Wrinkle.

[Morgan]

Well, that was a thing. I’ve been a fan of A Wrinkle in Time and A Wind in the Door since I was seven years old, and when I saw this at the library, I just thought, why not?

Basically, this is a short story L’Engle wrote for Children’s Book Week back in 1970, before she’d figured out all the pieces she needed to make A Wind in the Door a full novel. Progo and Sporos are there, the scene where Meg has to Name Mr. Jenkins is there, and honestly, there are significant portions that she reused with little to no alteration in A Wind in the Door. But she clearly hadn’t come up with farandolae yet, or developed the echthroi (though the seeds are there), and there’s no hint of Charles Wallace’s illness. It’s interesting that at one point she intended to revisit the Mrs Ws since as a kid I was always a little miffed that they were never really even mentioned again.

I do feel like the way this is republished is super misleading. It’s cool that they did republish it because beforehand, it was rare, but they tout it as a standalone “A Wrinkle in Time” story and act like it’s a full part of that world, but it’s not. It’s very much non canon and you absolutely cannot read it without having read the original book (and imo you shouldn’t be reading it without having read A Wind in the Door either because there are things that really just won’t make sense—mostly because they’re severely underdeveloped).

So basically, if like me you’re the kind of person who enjoys reading early attempts at the books that shaped your childhood (like the LeFay fragment for Narnia), it’s an interesting read. I’m also a writer myself, so that’s probably why it’s interesting to me to see early attempts that haven’t quite taken shape yet. But if you’re a non-writer and/or a casual fan, you’re just going to be confused by this. Go read A Wind in the Door instead. It’s a fabulous book and develops the ideas she began to play with here in a fuller, better way.

[Karen Clements · Rating 2 out of 5]

Like other reviewers here, I'm sad to give any work by L'Engle two stars; however, this simply doesn't measure up to the high standard I've come to expect from her. Since the author passed away over a decade ago, I can only assume that those managing her estate put this story (or fragment of a novel) out to capitalize on the recent film version of A Wrinkle in Time (don't get me started on that!). This book has a brief appearance by the the "Miss W" characters from Wrinkle and new characters from its sequel, A Wind in the Door. It feels very much like ideas that would eventually become Wind, but which had not been fully developed. I found myself comparing sections of this to my copy of Wind, and realized that many lines spoken by one character in Wind were given to others in this work. The complexity and beautiful language of Wind is dumbed down here, to its detriment. Case in point: the concept of annihilation called "X" in Wind is a bit confusing, but is explained well in the novel. Here, when the characters are quoting the dialogue about it, they just say "not," which I recognized having read Wind, but will be utterly bewildering to new readers.
Unfortunately, this short book with its brief chapters and cute illustrations will look appealing to younger readers. While it may have been intended as an introduction to the world L'Engle wrote about, it merely hints inexpertly at ideas that are worth waiting a couple of years for a more mature reader. I was intrigued by this book when I first learned of it, but it hasn't lived up to my expectations, and I'm glad I borrowed it from my library instead of purchasing it.
Recommended for die-hard L'Engle fans

[Faith Elizabeth Hough · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well, I never thought the day would come, but I just gave a Madeleine L'Engle book 2 stars.

Here's the thing: L'Engle wrote this as a short story for Children's Book Week, never intending it to be published as a book--I'm sure she certainly never intended it to be reprinted once she had reworked the bulk of its material into A Wind in the Door.

So my issue is not with Madeleine L'Engle (although, let's be honest, this is a far cry from the best of her work), but with the publisher who chose to reprint the story and market it as an early chapter book. My eight-year-old, who loved A Wrinkle in Time, was completely confused and bored by this story--its intended audience was not early readers. The size, format, and illustrations are misleading--as if it could be an introduction to the world of A Wrinkle in Time. Trust me, that's one way to guarantee that your early readers will NEVER go on to read A Wrinkle in Time.

Lastly...I know it was almost unheard of at the time, but I think many modern readers would read of the dilemma raised in Chapter One, that Charles Wallace will be miserable in school because he is so much smarter/wiser/stranger than any of the other students and sure to be misunderstood by the teachers, and think: "Um, yeah. HOMESCHOOL THE KID."

Sorry, Madeleine. I still love you. I'm sorry this book you probably had tucked away in a deep recess of your desk ever came to be reprinted. I hope it doesn't convince anyone to think less of you.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is not really a review so much as a smattering of reactions and random thoughts about my experience of the book and the Wrinkle universe as an adult, more than the quality of the book. Read on if you like, but don't expect a review!

I just discovered this on the library shelves while weeding, so of course I had to read it. I *must* have read it as a kid because there was too much that had that deeply hidden, all-but-forgotten memory-unlocked feeling. But I had no recollection of the title whatsover, which is fairly unusual.

At any rate, I probably gave it an extra star for the rediscovered childhood aspect, but I love all things Meg Murray, so that can't be discounted. It's Madeleine L'Engle. It's lovely. The Hope Larsen illustrations are jarring, unfortunately. I was surprised not to be terribly distressed by Larsen's graphic version of Wrinkle, but in that version the graphics are foregrounded and L'Engle's text is secondary. Juxtaposing Larsen's Meg-who-does-not-look-like-my-headcanon-Meg next to actual longform L'Engle text did not work for me. But I don't regret the time spent hanging out with Meg again.

I sense a series reread coming on....

ETA: Aha! Mystery solved. This novella BECAME Wind in the Door. Entire chunks of text appear in both stories, but Wind is greatly expanded and more complex.

[Kyle · Rating 1 out of 5]

Oof. What to think of this bizarre hybrid entry in the world of L'Engle's Time Quintet?

I was excited to learn of this previously unpublished (at least in book form) work of Madeleine L'Engle's. I was hoping for one last fun adventure with Meg, Charles Wallace, and Calvin. Unfortunately, this was not to be.

Despite its marketing it's not really a new story - the bulk of the book is almost a direct extract from "A Wind in the Door". There is some new material at the beginning of the slim volume which seems to set it in between "Wrinkle" and "Wind" but because of the heavy lifting from "Wind" later on there's no way one could possibly read this in between the two without re-reading some of the same material in the later volume.

It's possible L'Engle meant this piece to be an "introductory" read for younger readers exploring her works for the first time, but the writing is still a bit too advanced for your average first and second grader. And why would she not choose to make a regular adaptation of "Wind" instead of this weird composite piece that doesn't really fit within any of the previous works?

Overall "Intergalactic P.S.3" has just left me befuddled.

[Amber Webb · Rating 4 out of 5]

Intergalactic P.S. 3 is an introduction to A Wrinkle In Time but for younger readers. It is set up as a quick, easy-to-read chapter book. That being said, I stumbled through the first chapter not sure if any young reader would be able to hang on through it. My 7-year-old quickly lost interest and wanted to move on to another book. BUT, as soon as we go through the first chapter, we couldn't put it down. We had to know the fate of Charles Wallace, Margaret, Calvin and their assigned partners in this new place. Hope Larson's illustrations were amazing and added so much intrigue and interest to the story. We ended up reading the entire book in one sitting. Madeleine L'Engle has a very magical, fantastical brain and she gives us a glimpse in this mini Wrinkle story. I only wish there could be more to this one book.

[Translator Monkey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Three stars. This is little more an outline to L'Engle's novel 'A Wind in the Door,' and as such, is a) going to be woefully light on plot and meaning, and/or b) maddeningly familiar to those who, like me, have read the Wrinkle quartet of books and stumbled upon this to the promise of "the perfect gap filler for the space between the first two novels."

If I had paid money for this, I would have been pretty unhappy. As it stands, I'm now constantly wondering if L'Engle were actually party to this, or if it was crafted by her estate through a careful abridgement of the 'WitD' novel, allowing her name to remain as the author.

The rating does not reflect my disappointment; it's still a good novel, decent premise, but I have to dock stars for misleading readers. There's literally no point in pulling this sort of stunt.

[Pam · Rating 1 out of 5]

Charles Wallace is so precocious that he must go to an intergalactic school where he won't get jumped for being himself. Meg and Calvin go with him. Prospective students are paired up with other prospective students from other planets and are tested before admission. Neg and her partner must reveal which of several teachers is actually Meg's real teacher. The themes of love, as well as being yourself, are strong.
I had not read many of Madeleine L'Engke's books, but loved A Wrinkle In Time, and with that movie just released I thought I would expand my reading.
This is so short, it seems like a part of a longer book. Reading other reviews, it appears I need to read A Wind In The Door, and should have skipped this posthumously published work.

[Kathleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I can't quite sort out what to think of this. This book will likely only be appreciated by fans of L'engles "A Wrinkle in Time" or "A Wind in the Door". Originally published in 1970 for a special program (Children's Book Council Book Week in 1970) , its a short story that is the framework for what later became a Wind in the Door. Essentially, one of the most pivotal scenes at it's core and essence - that with the 3 Mr. Jenkins for the inquiring minds. I took it with a grain of salt as I don't believe it was ever really meant to be published in short story or book form. While not bad, I'm curious how readers who are not familiar with the characters would enjoy it. I don't think it would stand alone well. So worth a 45 minute read, for a select audience.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is presented as a standalone story from the world of A Wrinkle in Time. But in reality, looking at the publication date, it just seems to be an early draft of a portion of A Wind in the Door. So if you've read Wind, you don't need to read this book. That being said, I do think the story depicted is one of the most interesting parts of Wind, so I think if you can set aside expectations that it's an original story, it's an OK book for kids. However, I'm not really sure who the audience for this book is. It's written in a lower reading level than Wrinkle or Wind, so it seems like it's maybe for a younger audience who aren't ready for the other books. But I'm not sure it makes enough sense on it's own if you don't know the characters already from Wrinkle.

[Lori · Rating 2 out of 5]

How does Meg know about the school if the last time she saw the Mrs W's was during the rescue of her father? Random question, but honestly, it really bothered me when I read that.

Meg is blunt and a bit cranky throughout the "Wrinkle in Time," but I do not think she's mean. In this book, she has no manners at all and is really rude to the other children trying to help them. Charles Wallace also acts unlike himself. It's almost like reading a fanfic of the series, but it's by the original author.

The story itself, is alright, but ends abruptly. Perhaps she meant to write Calvin and Charles Wallace's story as well as Meg's as they attempt to pass the test into the school, but it just feels unfinished.

[Clare Rossetter · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not my favorite read. Was confusing since I had not read the first two books in the series, this is not one you can easily pick up in the middle. There was an assumption you had so things were not clear often and had to stop and make inferences about what certain terms meant and why children reacted in a way they did. Not really sure initially why the 6 year old would have such a bad time at school and why they family was in a panic about it. Obviously should have read the first two books and hopefully they would have made this book a better read. Seemed far out and characters were not fully developed so not totally believable.

[Jim · Rating 5 out of 5]

this is a review of the book, not the audio.
i loved this short story! it was like visiting an old friend. i thought i had read all of the Murry-O'Keefe books, finding this yesterday was wonderful. i read it far too quickly gulping each of Madeleine's phrases.
Charles Wallace is about to start school, Meg is freaking out and Calvin agrees that Charles Wallace is going to be beat -up everyday because he's so unlike anyone else. Mrs Who, Whatsit and Which show up and take them to a school far, far away. This is Meg's story, of course, we're left to imagine Charles Wallace's and Calvin's.

[Tammy Parker · Rating 1 out of 5]

I don’t even want to finish this book. It seems like a knock off, poorly redone version of The Wind in the Door. I found it a frustration to read (or in my case listen to). So, I stopped to read the reviews and it appears my impression is true. To take an author of her caliber and to publish something like this disappoints me. I am a big fan of the Time Quartet and her other works (Arm of the Starfish).

[Tina · Rating 3 out of 5]

A charming little story, but it is not a standalone, in my opinion. If you have not read A Wrinkle In Time, then you will be very confused when reading this. This is not an introduction to the world of A Wrinkle in Time, as it makes many references that one would be unfamiliar with if they have not read the first book. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and I liked the artwork, but this is a book that should be read after the first book.

[Christine Laymon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gotta be honest, I am really glad that L'Engle wrote A Wind in the Door as that was certainly a MUCH better version of this story. That being said, it was fun to see the which characters, dialogue, and themes were kept between Intergalactic PS3 and its final evolution into A Wind in the Door. Also, I believe A Wind in the Door had one line that paid homage to this origin story so it's been nice to see the source material!

[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.