About
Meg Murray, her little brother Charles Wallace, and their mother are having a midnight snack on a dark and stormy night when an unearthly stranger appears at their door. He claims to have been blown off course and goes on to tell them that there is such a thing as a "tesseract," which, if you didn't know, is a wrinkle in time. Meg's father had been experimenting with time-travel when he suddenly disappeared. Will Meg, Charles Wallace, and their friend Calvin outwit the forces of evil as they search through space for their father?
Read one section at a time, then discuss the questions to review understanding. These questions are a starting place for conversation, not a complete test of the chapter.
Chapter 1
Comprehension questions
Describe Meg.
Page 1 — A girl who had twin younger brothers; a younger brother named Charles Wallace who had an uncanny sense of knowing when she was sad and couldn’t sleep; she struggled in school; her father had left and she didn’t know where to; her bedroom’s in the attic; has a wild imagination
1
Tell me about Charles Wallace.
Page 5 — Really smart; doesn’t behave normally in front of other people; He spoke in full sentences when he began to talk; understands Meg and her mom; doesn’t wiggle like other 5 year old boys
5
Why did Mrs. Whatsit come to visit them?
Page 12 — To tell Mrs. Murray there was such a thing as a tesseract
12
Chapter 2
Comprehension questions
What do you think the feeling was that compelled Calvin to go over to the haunted house?
Page 20 — listen to your child’s answers; intuitive; 6th sense
20
Have you or someone you know experienced this in some way?
Listen to your child's answer
Why did Mrs. Who steal Mrs. Buncombe’s sheets?
Page 21 — In case they needed ghosts for the charade of the haunted house
21
What do you think Mrs. Who is talking about when she said Meg’s father needed their help?
Page 22 — They are going to need to go and help him from the trouble he is in
22
Chapter 3
Comprehension questions
Why did Calvin feel alone and why doesn’t he feel alone anymore?
Page 27 — He doesn’t feel like his family cares about him and now that he’s met Meg and her family, he feels accepted and loved.
27
Describe Meg and Calvin’s relationship?
Page 30 — They’re good friends; they may like each other romantically
30
What’s the story behind Meg’s missing father?
Page 31 — He’s a physicist and began to travel doing a job that was classified. He wrote his wife every day, but then the letters stopped and they haven’t heard anything from him in a year. The government says he’s on a dangerous mission, but that he can’t communicate for a while and they’ll give any news as soon as they have it
31
Chapter 4
Comprehension questions
Now that you know a little more about the three old women describe each of them.
Page 36 — Mrs. Whatsit- is always bundled up to her head and has a hard time keeping it all straight wearing a man’s coat and multicolored scarves and shawls, she’s friendly and jovial, she is plump; Mrs. Who wear white robes and glasses, uses quotes in different languages to speak, she has a hard time coming up with words on her own, also jovial; Mrs. Which is what you think a witch would look like, black robe; black peaked hat; beady eyes; beaked nose; long gray hair; has a broomstick; she talks differently and has a hard time materializing into a solid form
36
Describe the creature that Mrs. Whatsit transformed into.
Page 39 — A beautiful marble white creature with rainbow wings; legs of a horse; upper body of a man
39
How did the shadow make Meg feel?
Page 44 — Dark and dreadful; it chilled her with fear that was beyond shuddering, crying or screaming, beyond the possibility of comfort;
44
Chapter 5
Comprehension questions
Find a rope, string, or an object of your choice and demonstrate how Mrs. Who explained how they “tesser” or “wrinkle” through space.
Page 47 — Your child should find an object that can fold and explain that if a small insect were to travel from one end to the other it would take along time, but if the ends were brought together, it would be a shorter and much faster.
47
Explain to me the different dimensions explained in the book.
Page 48 — 1st dimension- a line; 2nd dimension- a flat square (like what you would draw on a paper); 3rd dimension-a full square that wouldn’t be flat and where you could see the bottom, sides and top; 4th dimension- you’d square the square which equals time; 5th dimension- you’d square the fourth dimension which makes a tesseract
48
Why was The Medium hesitant to show the children the planet earth in the crystal ball?
Page 54 — The Dark Shadow was hovering over earth and it is the Powers of Darkness; it’s evil
54
Chapter 6
Comprehension questions
How can the Darkness be overcome?
Page 57 — Light; a star gave up its life in battle with the Thing
57
Describe what the children saw as they entered the town on Camazotz?
Page 65 — The town was laid out in harsh angular patterns; the outside of the houses were exactly alike; in front of all the houses children were playing, skipping and bouncing in rhythm at the same exact moment; everything was in rhythm, all identical.
65
Compare and contrast Camazotz to your city.
Listen to your child's answer
Why did the children think the people on this planet could be robots?
Page 70 — Because they move jerkily; they did everything in unison; the men and women going into the building looked straight ahead, paying no attention to the children; the people showed no emotion
70
Chapter 7
Comprehension questions
After the children went into the building, how did they get past the empty fourth wall?
Page 74 — A man turned them in so he wouldn’t get in trouble
74
How was the man on platform talking to the children?
Page 75 — Through their minds; telepathy
75
When the man was reciting multiplication problems, why did the children shout out rhyme’s and a speech?
Page 77 — So they wouldn’t be hypnotized
77
Chapter 8
Comprehension questions
When Charles Wallace was under the influence of the man with the red eyes, what did he tell Meg?
Page 86 — To relax, that Mrs. Whatsit, Mrs. Who and Mrs. Which were wrong; that their troubles are over and that this planet is a wonderful place and is in perfect order; the man with the red eyes is their friend
86
What are the benefits of living on Camazotz?
Page 88 — There is no sickness or deformity; everyone is happy and forced to be all alike; there are no individuals
88
Who is IT?
Page 89 — The boss of Camazotz; he is who makes everyone of one mind
89
Why is IT evil?
Page 90 — It wants to take away individuality and the freedom to choose
90
Chapter 9
Comprehension questions
What happened to Charles Wallace when Calvin recited the Tempest words to him.
Page 93 — He started to come out of the trance, but he seemed to get smacked with an invisible hand and was knocked to the ground by it; he sat on the floor whimpering
93
How did Meg get through the invisible barrier that led to her father?
Page 94 — She put on Mrs. Who’s glasses
94
What were Meg’s faults that she realized were supposed to help save her?
Page 100 — Her anger, impatience, stubbornness
100
Chapter 10
Comprehension questions
Describe how Meg felt after they had tessered away from IT.
Page 107 — Icy cold; couldn’t move; like stone /marble
107
Why was Meg so angry and accusing to her father and Calvin?
Page 109 — The Darkness had a hold of her
109
Have you ever been so angry with someone, that you yelled at them? Explain.
Listen to your child's answer
Describe the beasts on this world that wanted to take Meg away.
Page 110 — Very tall; no eyes, just soft indentations; four arms with tentacles for fingers; had heads and faces, but had indentations where the features would be and instead of eyes and ears there were tentacles
110
Chapter 11
Comprehension questions
Why did Meg resolve to give in to the beasts and realize they were good?
Page 114 — Because of the way they made her feel
114
How was Meg feeling toward Calvin and her father during breakfast?
Page 119 — That she couldn’t trust them; they wouldn’t help her save Charles Wallace
119
Why couldn’t the beasts on this planet understand what the humans tried to explain to them?
Page 120 — The beasts understood things in a different way. They didn’t have eyes to see or ears to hear, yet they understood things more deeply
120
Chapter 12
Comprehension questions
What gift did Meg find within herself?
Page 128 — the intense capacity to love and that her faults were her also her greatest strengths against IT
128
What is a weakness you have that can also be seen as a strength?
Listen to your child's answer
What is a theme throughout this story?
Good vs. Evil; the power of love; appearances can be deceiving; the importance of family; courage and responsibility; sacrifice
What did you like about this story?
Listen to your child's answer
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