The action in Madeleine L'Engle's delightful tale A Wrinkle in Time takes place across a number of settings, some “normal,” others fantastic. These settings stretch across the universe as Meg and Charles Wallace travel with their father and their friend Calvin on some amazing adventures.

The story begins on Earth in an unnamed town that is like many other small towns in America. The lack of a name is purposeful, for it draws readers into the story and makes them think that they, too, might someday have fantastic experiences for themselves.

As the story progresses, three strange “ladies” who are really supernatural beings, transport Meg, Charles Wallace, and Calvin through the universe by tesseract to the planet Uriel, which is a place of love inhabited by beings who look like Centaurs. Next, they visit the unnamed planet of the Happy Medium who shows the children that the Earth is partly in darkness because of the evil Black Thing spreading throughout the universe.

The children's next stop is Camazotz, a dark planet where Meg and Charles Wallace's father has been held captive by the evil IT. Meg, her father, and Calvin escape to the planet Ixchel where they are cared for by strange creatures who look horribly scary but are really wise, kind, and caring. Meg, however, goes back to Camazotz to rescue Charles Wallace, who is under the control of IT. Her love saves her brother, and the whole party tessers back to Earth, home, and safety.