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Meet the Austins (Austin Family #1)
For a family with four kids, two dogs, assorted cats, and a constant stream of family and friends dropping by, life in the Austin family home has always been remarkably steady and contented. When a family friend suddenly dies in a plane crash, the Austins open their home to an orphaned girl, Maggy Hamilton. The Austin children—Vicky, John, Suzy, and Rob—do their best to be...more
Paperback, 240 pages
Published
September 2nd 2008
by Square Fish
(first published 1960)
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Elizabethesaurus
rated it
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review of another edition
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review of another edition
Recommends it for:
all young teens (maybe mostly the female ones)
This is a novel about a family whose members share their experiences with each other, who accept each each member with love, trusting each other enough to not feel the need to hide things. We could all learn a thing or two from them.
I've read other books in the Austin family series before this one; out of order too. I love A Ring of Endless Light so much, my copy of it is literally falling apart. Recently I decided I really ought to start at the beginning.
I was very glad I did....more
I've read other books in the Austin family series before this one; out of order too. I love A Ring of Endless Light so much, my copy of it is literally falling apart. Recently I decided I really ought to start at the beginning.
I was very glad I did....more
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Lisa Vegan
rated it
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review of another edition
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
children's lit fans, Madeleine L'Engle fans
This is one of my favorite books from childhood. I first read it in 1962 when I was 9. I still enjoy the story, and all of Madeleine L'Engle's books for that matter, but I think it's probably somewhat dated; kids today might not enjoy it that much, unless they are reading it as a period piece. It's the story of a family told from the point of view of the 12 year old daughter. This is the first book about the Austin family, just as A Wrinkle In Time is the first book about Meg Murray and her fami...more
Going into this book I had no idea that it was the only book in this series that didn't have a fantasy or science fiction theme. Throughout most of the book I couldn't quite put my finger on why I was disappointed with it, but after reading the description from Wikipedia it was obvious to me that that was what I was missing. Most of Madeleine L'Engle's other books that I love include some element of fantasy and I really missed that in this story.
I hadn't read this book before, and the ...more
I hadn't read this book before, and the ...more
"Meet the Austins" by Madeleine L'Engle was a very good book. After Maggy Hamilton's dad dies in a plane crash, she is left in orphan who goes to live with the Austin family. Maggy is a spoiled 6 year old from New York City, so going to live in the country is a hard change for her but an even harder change for the Austin children to get used to this girl from the city. I believe the message of this novel is that change may be hard, but if everyone tries it can work out. The author'...more
Madeline L'Engle won the Newbery in 1963 for her classic "A Wrinkle in Time". This is a much lesser known work (I'd never heard of it until I discovered it while doing library inventory) published two years prior to Wrinkle.
This is a very different genre than any thing else I'd read by L'Engle. This is not sci-fi or fantasy.
The only resemblance to her greatest known work is that two characters names from this book turn up again as the major characters in her ...more
This is a very different genre than any thing else I'd read by L'Engle. This is not sci-fi or fantasy.
The only resemblance to her greatest known work is that two characters names from this book turn up again as the major characters in her ...more
It was delightful, getting to know this family through their adventures and mishaps. The funny thing that I noticed whilst reading it, though, is that when I was a kid, I would read a book like this* and pay attention entirely to the what the children were doing, and how they interacted with one another. Now that I'm older (one might say "at a certain age") I find that I am far less interested in the kids' antics and pay far more attention to how the grown-ups act, especially the paren...more
The first of the Austins books, chronologically, is Meet the Austins. The children are pretty young in this book and I found it harder to get interested in them in this book than it was in A Ring of Endless Light, which I read shortly before this book. With Meet the Austins, I was starting to realize that the Austin family basically IS the O'Keefe family from L'Engle's time books, except that the Austins border on annoyingly perfect. They're the kind of family you wish you grew up in, but that d...more
Eh. I go all bonkers for kids books usually, and I am going to keep reading this series, but jeez, Madeleine! This book is like 90% telling! Duh, didn't you take Creative Writing where they teach you to SHOW?
I'm having a lot of trouble deciding whether I liked this book or not. Unfortunately I read A Ring of Endless Light first, and Meet the Austins isn't anywhere near the depth and quality of A Ring of Endless Light, which is the 4th book in the series. I love reading about the Austin family, love their house, their lifestyle, their family interactions, but there was something I couldn't quite believe about it all. Maybe even the difficult events ended too perfectly or something. I can't quite put ...more
3.5 stars
It took me about 30 pages to really get into this book but once I did, I was delighted. I can't wait to read more about the Austin family! They seem like such a down to earth family, a bit of sibling squabbling but they still love each other at the end of the day. The family probably seems "quaint" by today's standards but I love how the mother takes care of her husband and children, the father works hard to provide for his family, and the children have chores and ...more
It took me about 30 pages to really get into this book but once I did, I was delighted. I can't wait to read more about the Austin family! They seem like such a down to earth family, a bit of sibling squabbling but they still love each other at the end of the day. The family probably seems "quaint" by today's standards but I love how the mother takes care of her husband and children, the father works hard to provide for his family, and the children have chores and ...more
The Austins manage in this, the first book featuring them, to be real, idealistic, and lovable all at once. None of them are perfect, but overall they represents exactly what I long for most - a family of loving, thinking, laughing individuals. I can never read a dinnertime scene without fiercely wishing for that in my own house.
If you are looking for an exciting story, this isn't it. If you are looking for a story that seems simple on the surface, yet simmers with quiet joy underneath...more
If you are looking for an exciting story, this isn't it. If you are looking for a story that seems simple on the surface, yet simmers with quiet joy underneath...more
I am re-reading the Austin Family book series for young adults by Madeleine L'Engle. It's amazing to read the introduction by her grandkid (although not so much a kid anymore). The series is timeless and yet dated simultaneously. The tumultuous trials of growing up in middle class America are universal. However, things like running to answer the house phone and playing records are very 1960's. Madeleine was ahead of her time in discussing complex topics like the balance between science and fait...more
Dolly
rated it
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review of another edition
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review of another edition
Recommends it for:
parents reading with their children
Shelves:
2011,
aviation,
childrens,
pets,
new-england,
other-usa,
ocean-seashore,
education-school,
relationships
Hallelujah! We finally finished this book! We started it about nine months ago...
This is an interesting tale of a family's life in rural Vermont, filled with moral lessons, compassion and anecdotes that are at times sad, funny or happy. The family eschewed the materialism that seems to plague Americans; and the traditions and principles that the family holds dear are ones that we could all likely benefit from in our own lives. The tale has an old fashioned feel to it, which makes ...more
This is an interesting tale of a family's life in rural Vermont, filled with moral lessons, compassion and anecdotes that are at times sad, funny or happy. The family eschewed the materialism that seems to plague Americans; and the traditions and principles that the family holds dear are ones that we could all likely benefit from in our own lives. The tale has an old fashioned feel to it, which makes ...more
L'Engle's Austin family is one of my favorites in storytelling. They are simply delightful and would be almost too good to be true, except that the kids squabble just as much as anybody. This book introduces Vicky Austin and her family, just as little Maggy Hamilton arrives to throw everything into a tizzy. It's a fun and thoughtful family story and will make you want to read the ones that follow. Ms L'Engle has said that she is a lot like Vicky, in many an interview. I wish I could be like Mrs....more
Here’s the funny thing about Meet the Austins. When I read it in elementary school, I found the pace slow and so almost never discovered Madeleine L’Engle. I reread Meet the Austins only after I fell for Madeleine L’Engle’s other books. Yet now upon rereading the Austin books, Meet the Austins is by far my favorite because of its rich thematic depth. The rest of the world almost never discovered Meet the Austins either, given that it was rejected by publishers for two years. Why? Because Madelei...more
I'm a big fan of Madeleine L'Engle's work. And am looking forward to reading yet another series of hers this summer. I was expecting the plot to be similar to the Time series, but wasn't unhappy with the lack of science fiction in this novel, in comparison. Something I have begun to notice is this: L'Engle slips in a pianist, classical music references and artists in each book I've read of hers. It's almost as reliable as a reference to astrophysics, creation, God, religion and general science o...more
It held up yet again. Interesting that lately I've noticed that I tend to feel emotionally attached to the parents as much as the kids (heading in that direction and age myself, I guess it's inevitable!), but I didn't have that so much with this - I think that's a testament to L'Engle's writing, since she captures so well the angst of pre-teen self-absorption without it being tedious and unbearable to read (HP Book 5 anyone?). I still identify strongly with Vicky Austin, and I am still envious o...more
I wonder how I would have felt about this book if I would have read it as a kid? I haven't read much of L'engle outside of A Wrinkle in Time, which I loved as a kid. I read this after people started talking about all the books of hers they loved after she died this year. There were a lot of things I liked about the book, the fun jumble of this family's life together, the adventures they have, the love that they have and share with the new girl. But as I was reading I was bugged by some of th...more
I enjoyed this book quite a bit, partially because it gave me a break from fantasy. It's about a close-knit family who kind of remind me of the ideal LDS family. When their adopted uncle, who is a test pilot, and his copilot die in a plane crash, the Austin family takes in the daughter of the copilot. At first, she is a brat and expects the Austins to jump through hoops for her. But as time goes on, she begins to see the kindness and love that the family continually portrays and provides for...more
I am currently on a library binge, the library in question, of course, being the one down the hall from my office. School library, you are the best.
I read A Ring of Endless Light in elementary school, decided the Austins were no Murrays, and tossed the whole series in the pile of treacle. But this book was great! It totally reminded me of The Children of Noisy Village- a series of charming little stories about an endearing, slightly silly family. There's no real overarching plot, it just ...more
I read A Ring of Endless Light in elementary school, decided the Austins were no Murrays, and tossed the whole series in the pile of treacle. But this book was great! It totally reminded me of The Children of Noisy Village- a series of charming little stories about an endearing, slightly silly family. There's no real overarching plot, it just ...more
I love these type of books, where the family is together, the children all respect each other, and it's just one great big happy. Little did I know when I picked up this book in the library last night that it is the first in a series of books. I felt as if I were reading about the Murry family in an alternate world, and after researching a bit about L'Engle's books, this is exactly what it appears to be. Lovely book that will take you back to a simpler time we like to believe was so.
This was the perfect book to read after a weekend with my family... it's 1960, and Vicky's family has four children, two parents, a charismatic uncle, a heartbroken aunt, one big dog and one French poodle, a million cats, and a troublesome adopted orphan who looks to disrupt Vicky's peaceful life at home. It's more a glimpse into a family's life than a novel with a straightfoward plot, but I loved every page.
This book was delightful and comforting: much like curling up into a favorite chair with a mug of cocoa. Although I hadn't read it before, it felt familiar. The family brought to life by L'Engle is charming and lovely and it is easy to forget the blahs of daily life and fall in to the peaceful comfort of the Austin family: makes one wish for simpler times. I can't wait to read the next one in this series.
The Chronos series appeals to children and teens, and follows the life of Vicky Austin and her unique family of lovable and dynamic characters. The series begins with Meet the Austins, but A Ring of Endless Light stands out as a favorite amongst readers. L’Engle spent time at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York and incorporates much of her experiences there into her writing.
I have more to say about this book than what I could ever even begin to write here. Emotionally, it was incredibly difficult for me to read, simply because it gets so much right about life and death and love and family. I must have read this when I was young, but I don't think I was ready for it then. Still, it will have the first place on the bookshelf I create for my future children.
I have respect for her as a writer, but some of her characters are hard to relate to, and a lot of her fiction is dreadfully out of date. Not many people under the age of 50 will really enjoy this book, as there's not enough action or plot to hold a child's attention these days. But it did remind me of my own childhood in some ways, and that's why I gave it three stars.
I don't know how I'd never read this - I've read Ring of Endless Light about a million times, and Moon by Night and Troubling a Star at least a few each. Anyway, it's a nice introduction to the Austin family (as you could probably guess by the title). The overarching plot is a little blah, but all the little vignettes in between are enjoyable.
This was one of my favorite series in middle school, I can only presume because of the wholesomeness of the Austin family. I wanted to be part of their happy, accepting, interactive family. Rereading these books as an adult, I am struck by how preachy they are, definitely an opportunity for L'Engle to express her thoughts about many subjects. I don't disagree with her philosophy, but much of the dialogue seems forced in the stories. However, as an adult, I think I am understanding and benefi...more
Used to love the Austins. Now, I am not sure what was so special about them. The main girl was a little whiny, but I liked the part when the power went out and they had to fill the bathtubs and drink that water. It's now kind of gross looking back on it....and the mom was awesome. It made up for the whiny oldest sister.
This book is from a different era.....I enjoyed it very much, but not sure how kids of today would relate. Family time is paramount, small town family doctor, spankings as punishment at times, and children expected to be responsible for consequenes. Games are much more imaginataive and "old-fashioned."
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Madeleine L'Engle was an American writer best known for her Young Adult fiction, particularly the Newbery Medal-winning A Wrinkle in Time and its sequels A Wind in the Door, A Swiftly Tilting Planet, and Many Waters. Her works reflect her strong interest in modern science: tesseracts, for example, are featured prominently in A Wrinkle in Time, mitochondrial DNA in A Wind in the Door, organ regener...more
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