A Wrinkle in Time Author Dead at 88

Madeleine L'Engle, author of more than 60 works of science fiction, religious meditation, poetry, drama, and young adult fiction, died yesterday in Connecticut, the New York Times reports. She was 88 years old. Her most famous book, A Wrinkle in Time, has sold more than 6 million copies since its 1962 publication and is now in its 67th printing.

After initial trouble securing a publisher, L'Engle quickly became a household name, winning most prestigious young adult fiction prizes. Known for her ability to make reflections on morality and difficult scientific concepts like quantum theory accessible to adolescents, L'Engle frequently said that children's literature is literature too difficult for adults to understand. (More Madeleine L'Engle stories.)