 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
Many Waters
- By Madeleine L'Engle
- Genre: Science Fiction
Common Sense Media says
Kids are pulled into epic good vs. evil struggle.
Parents say
QUALITY
Kids say
QUALITY
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that this is based on the story of Noah and the ark; the biblical characters begin to seem real, and their dilemmas are involving. Descriptions of the fantastic creatures and the desert setting are evocative.
What's the story?
Fifteen-year-old twins Sandy and Dennys are the practical members of the Murry family. Unlike their siblings, Meg and Charles, they have never experienced a journey through time or space. But when, overcome with winter doldrums, they type "TAKE ME SOMEPLACE WARM" on their physicist father's computer, they are suddenly whisked away to biblical times.
Here, the fallen angels vie for control of Earth with the seraphim, and a diminutive patriarch named Noah has received a mysterious message from El to begin building a huge ship.
Sandy and Dennys must find a way to return to their own time before the flood begins, but they are concerned for the fate of Noah's beautiful granddaughter, Yalith, who is not mentioned in the biblical account.
Forced to think independently for the first time, the twins affect history in ways they couldn't have imagined, learning that "some things have to be believed to be seen."
Is it any good?
The main characters, Sandy and Dennys, spend a good part of this book just recovering from sunburn, being tended by members of Noah's family. The biblical characters -- both the tiny, long-lived humans and the angels -- are considerably more interesting than the twins. Even the animal characters, like the miniature mammoth, Higgaion, have more personality. When Sandy and Dennys do speak, they tend to state the perfectly obvious.
Eventually, readers are pulled into the struggle between angels and fallen angels, the ageless battle between good and evil that is at the heart of all the Chronos Quartet stories. Madeleine L'Engle raises the interesting questions of what part the twins will play in the battle, and what will happen to Yalith, whom they both love. This is not conventional storytelling, but it has its own rewards.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about the twist on the familiar Noah and the ark story. How does this book change the way you view the original tale?
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AGE
Great Book for Teens
I am so glad I read this book before giving it to my nine year old due to the "coming of age" theme. It contains several references to nudity and sex between the nephilim (fallen angels) and humans. (This is noted in the Bible as one of the reasons for the flood.)
This book is better suited for the teen age group and promotes abstinence/innocence. The twins are not able to ride unicorns if they loose their innocence. One of the boys is regularly tested in this area.
It is set in Noah's time period with the twin boys from the previous 3 books at age 15. In the prior books the twins never take part in the action, so it is nice that they get a book on their own. The only drawback is that it was out of place in the time line of the previous books.
I loved the biblical tie ins throughout the story with Noah's family. It raises several provoking thoughts about Noah possibly having more children that may not have been let on the Ark (ie a girl Yalith who is taken to heaven like Enoch). Madeline does this by referencing that women were rarely mentioned in the Old Testament. Other children are mentioned that are not allowed on because of their interrelations with the nephilim.
Overall, it was a wonderful story with great spiritual content and lessons. It talks of taking out time to be quiet and listen to God talking in the wind. It is a wonderful good versus evil book.
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AGE
Good book, nice sequel but should have come a bit earlier in the series.
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AGE
Great book
i just love this book. It was great.
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AGE
I hated this book sooooooooo much. It was really boring. Made no sense. And will make no sense for anybody.
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| Author: | Madeleine L'Engle |
| Book type: | Fiction |
| Genre: | Science Fiction |
| Publisher: | Yearling Books |
| Publication date: | January 1, 1986 |
| Number of pages: | 336 |
| Paperback price: | $6.50 |
| Publisher's recommended age(s): | 12 - 14 |
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