Madeleine L'Engle: The Wrinkle in Time Quartet (LOA #309)

Rediscover an American classic with this special deluxe edition of the Newbery Award–winning children’s series—starring the iconic time traveling heroine, Meg Murry

This Library of America volume presents Madeleine L’Engle’s iconic classic A Wrinkle in Time, one of the most beloved and influential novels for young readers ever written, in a newly-prepared authoritative text and, as a special feature, it includes never-before-seen deleted passages from the novel in an appendix. L’Engle’s unforgettable heroine, Meg Murry, must confront her fears and self-doubt to rescue her scientist father, who has been experimenting with mysterious tesseracts capable of bending the very fabric of space and time. Helping her are her little brother Charles Wallace and her friend Calvin O’Keefe, and a trio of strange supernatural visitors called Mrs. Whatsit, Mrs. Who, and Mrs. Which. But A Wrinkle in Time was only the beginning of the adventure. Seven other Kairos (“cosmic time”) novels followed, collected for the first time in a deluxe two volume collector's boxed set.

This first volume gathers Wrinkle with three books that chronicle the continuing adventures of Meg and her siblings. In A Wind in the Door, Meg and Calvin descend into the microverse to save Charles Wallace from the Echthroi, evil beings who are trying to unname existence. When a madman threatens nuclear war in A Swiftly Tilting Planet, Charles Wallace must save the future by traveling into the past. And in Many Waters, Sandy and Dennys, Meg’s twin brothers, are accidentally transported back to the time of Noah’s ark.

A companion volume gathers the final four Kairos Novels, the Polly O’Keefe quartet, in which Calvin and Meg’s daughter takes center stage.

LIBRARY OF AMERICA is an independent nonprofit cultural organization founded in 1979 to preserve our nation’s literary heritage by publishing, and keeping permanently in print, America’s best and most significant writing. The Library of America series includes more than 300 volumes to date, authoritative editions that average 1,000 pages in length, feature cloth covers, sewn bindings, and ribbon markers, and are printed on premium acid-free paper that will last for centuries.

Standard and Primary covers are widely available through general retailers. They often have higher print runs and can be cheaper, especially during sales.

In contrast, Direct Market (DM) and variant covers are primarily sold in comic shops. DM editions tend to have more limited availability and may be more valuable to collectors.

The main differences lie in artwork style, availability, price, and collector appeal. Ultimately, the choice between standard and variant covers depends on personal preference, budget, and individual collecting goals.

Comic book enthusiasts have various formats to choose from when collecting their favorite stories.
Here's a brief overview of the main types:

Omnibus

• Large, hardcover collections
• Usually contain complete runs or extensive story arcs
• Typically 800-1000+ pages
• Higher price point, often €100-€150

Oversized Hardcover (OHC)

• Similar dimensions to omnibus, but thinner
• Collect shorter runs or story arcs
• Usually 300-600 pages
• Priced between €30-€50

Hardcover (HC)

• Standard-sized hardcover books
• Collect 6-12 issues typically
• Similar dimensions to single issues, but with a hard cover
• Priced around €25-€35

Trade Paperback (TP)

• Softcover collections
• Standard comic book size
• Usually collect 4-6 issues
• Most affordable option, typically €15-€25

Other Formats

• Absolute Editions: Oversized, deluxe hardcovers (mainly DC Comics)
• Compendiums: Massive paperback collections
• Graphic Novels (OGN/GN): Original stories not previously released as single issues

The choice between these formats often depends on personal preference, budget, and collecting goals. Omnibus and OHC editions offer larger artwork and more content but at a higher price, while TPs provide a more affordable way to collect complete story arcs