A Wrinkle in Time

About this book

Twelve-year-old Meg Murry, her gifted brother Charles Wallace, and their friend Calvin travel by tesseract across dimensions to rescue Meg's missing scientist father from a controlling cosmic force. L'Engle's Newbery-winning novel is a common 5th-6th grade science-fiction introduction.

Why widely assigned

This Children's Science Fiction title, reads at middle-grade prose complexity, typically at grades 5–7. Written in the 1960s; pairs with curriculum units on good vs evil and scientific imagination; cited across 1 curriculum framework.

Where this book is assigned

• Common Core State Standards (ELA)

  • recommended·5th grade · Massachusettssource: MA ELA Framework grade 5 aligned text
  • recommended·6th gradesource: Common Core aligned summer-reading list — rising 6th grade
  • recommended·6th gradesource: CCSS ELA Appendix B, grades 6-8 exemplar

Similar grade-level books

• 
  The Outsiders
  S.E. Hinton · 750L
• 
  The Giver
  Lois Lowry · 760L
• 
  The Diary of a Young Girl
  Anne Frank · 1080L
• 
  To Kill a Mockingbird
  Harper Lee · 870L

See all books like A Wrinkle in Time→ — matched on theme + reading level.

Common questions

What grade level is A Wrinkle in Time?

A Wrinkle in Time is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades 5–7, with a Lexile measure of 740L. Specific grade placement varies by curriculum — AP Literature and IB English Literature typically use it in grades 11-12.

What is the Lexile level of A Wrinkle in Time?

A Wrinkle in Time has a Lexile measure of 740L according to MetaMetrics. Lexile measures text complexity, not content maturity — check the grade range and content notes separately for age-appropriateness.

How long does it take to read A Wrinkle in Time?

It takes about 4h 15m to read A Wrinkle in Time (232 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 255 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.

Is A Wrinkle in Time hard to read for 5th grade?

At 740L, A Wrinkle in Time falls within the typical 740–1010L text-complexity range for 5th grade (Common Core Appendix A) — a grade-appropriate reading challenge. Lexile measures text complexity, not thematic maturity — check the content notes for age-appropriateness separately.

What curricula assign A Wrinkle in Time?

A Wrinkle in Time appears on reading lists for Common Core State Standards (ELA). Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.