Holly Sykes goes through very difficult circumstances while never giving up on herself or losing her compassion. Holly makes mistakes, but she is honest and hopeful in a hard-working and clear-seeing, not Pollyanna, way.

"A Wrinkle in Time" is one of the first books that offered us a wonderful female protagonist, Meg Murray. She is smart, determined, curious, and brave. Preteen girls couldn't ask for a better role model. L'Engle won numerous prestigious awards for this ground-breaking book.

This novel offers several strong characters. One woman, Bronca, is indigenous to Manhattan Island. Another, Brooklyn, is a former rapper turned politician. Both have distinct voices and manifest their strength in different ways.

Maybe we cannot consider this book science fiction, but it is speculative fiction. Cassiopeia Tun holds onto her dignity and in doing so helps a Mayan god act with greater dignity as well.