Fans of 'A Wrinkle in Time' Flock to NYC Theater to Celebrate the Classic's 50th Anniversary
RSSBy Rocco Staino Last Saturday was a blustery, snowy day in New York City. But that didn't stop a near-capacity crowd of ardent fans from thronging to a local theater to take part in a celebration honoring the 50th anniversary of the publication of a beloved children's book classic. Madeleine L'Engle's iconic work, A Wrinkle in Time (Farrar, 1962), is 50 years old this year. To honor the anniversary, kids, parents, librarians, and teachers were among those who gathered at Symphony Space theater on upper Broadway to listen to a panel of children's book authors wax nostalgic about the classic. The event kicked off a year of celebrations that will honor L'Engle and her work. The atmosphere was electric as four noted children's authors took the stage, along with moderator Betsy Bird, a New York Public Library children's librarian and School Library Journal blogger. Panel members Lois Lowry, Katherine Paterson, R. L. Stine, and Rebecca Stead each relayed his or her particular memories and reactions to the book. Stead recalled how as a child, she had actually met L'Engle at a book signing. Little did she realize at the time, Stead said, that she'd pen her Newbery Medal-winning novel, When You Reach Me (Random, 2009), many years later, and make the main character, Miranda, a fan of A Wrinkle in Time. Later, Emmy Award-winning actress Jane Curtin read a passage from the L'Engle's classic, and portrayed various characters from it, and local students performed scenes from the book. Afterwards, kids and adults lined up to buy panel members' books and to get them signed. The Symphony Space event was the first of several planned celebrations by the Macmillan Children's Publishing Group to mark the anniversary, including a new book trailer and a commemorative edition of A Wrinkle in Time. Take a look at the below slideshow of pictures from the event:
Photos by Chelsey Philpot
February 17, 2012
l. to r. Betsy Bird (Moderator) & Panelists: Authors,
Lois Lowry, Katherine Paterson, Rebecca Stead, &
R. L. Stine.Katherine Paterson, who recently ended her term as National Ambassador for Young People's Literature, contrasted her own experience reading A Wrinkle in Time with that of her two daughters. "I found myself thinking, 'who's on first?'" she said about her encounter as an adult with a book she found confusing at times. Meanwhile, her daughters didn't seem at all ruffled by the plot's many twists and turns. "Read it while you're young," Paterson advised the audience.
