Meet the Austins facts for kids
dust jacket to the 1960 edition
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| Author | Madeleine L'Engle |
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| Cover artist | unknown (1960 edition) |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Series | Austin family |
| Genre | Young Adult |
| Publisher | Vanguard Press, Farrar, Straus & Giroux |
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Publication date
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1960, revised 1997 |
| Media type | Print (Hardback) |
| Pages | 191 pp (first ed.), 216 (1997 ed.) |
| ISBN | 0-374-34929-0 (1997 ed.) |
| OCLC | 35235132 |
| LC Class | PZ7.L5385 Me 1997 |
| Preceded by | A Full House: An Austin Family Christmas |
| Followed by | The Moon by Night |
Meet the Austins is a popular novel written by Madeleine L'Engle in 1960. It's the first book in her exciting Austin family series. This story introduces you to the main character, Vicky Austin, and her three siblings. You'll also meet Maggy Hamilton, a girl who becomes an orphan and joins their family.
Contents
What is Meet the Austins About?
The Austin family is usually loud, loving, and happy. But their lives change when their honorary uncle dies in a plane crash. The co-pilot also died, leaving behind his ten-year-old daughter, Maggy. She has no one to look after her.
The Austins decide to welcome Maggy into their home. Maggy is a bit spoiled and has had a tough life. She didn't have much family time before. Maggy often encourages Vicky's sister, Suzy, to get into trouble. This makes things harder for everyone in the family.
The book tells its story through different events. Each chapter focuses on a specific incident. For example, you'll read about Vicky's bicycle accident. You'll also learn about a family vacation. As the story goes on, Vicky talks about how her family changes. You'll see her start to understand herself better. Later books about Vicky have fantasy or science fiction elements. However, Meet the Austins is a realistic story.
Who are the Main Characters?
Meet the Austin Kids
- Victoria "Vicky" Austin is the main character and tells the story. She lives with her family in Thornhill, a rural area in New England. Vicky is twelve years old when the book begins. Her uncle Douglas thinks Vicky is artistic. But Vicky believes she isn't good at anything.
- John Austin is Vicky's older brother. He loves science and is becoming a scientist. John won a prize at a science fair for his homemade space suit. He is fifteen years old at the start of the book. Vicky describes him as "the nicest one of us all."
- Suzanne "Suzy" Austin is Vicky's sister. She is nine years old when the story starts. Suzy already knows she wants to be a doctor. She plays games where she pretends to be a doctor. She even performs "operations" on her broken dolls. Suzy is a year younger than Maggy. They are best friends and play together often. Suzy has blonde hair and is considered the beauty of the family.
- Robert "Rob" Austin is Vicky's youngest brother. He is four years old, almost five, at the beginning of the story. Rob is wise and loving. The family enjoys his creative prayers and other surprising things he says. His favorite toy is a plush elephant. It's named Elephant's Child after a story by Rudyard Kipling. The toy used to have a music box, but Maggy breaks it.
Other Important People
- Margaret "Maggy" Hamilton is an orphan. Her mother traveled a lot and her father was a test pilot. Maggy is ten years old. She is loud and always wants attention. She spends most of her time with Suzy. They often get into mischief and are punished. Maggy grew up with many toys but not much discipline. She didn't see her parents often. Maggy's mother died from pneumonia. Her father, Dick Hamilton, died a month later.
- Dr. Wallace "Wally" Austin is Vicky's father. He is a doctor.
- Victoria Eaton Austin is Vicky's mother. She used to be a singer.
- Douglas Austin is Vicky's uncle. He is a painter and visits the family sometimes.
- Aunt Elena is a close family friend. She is the one who connects the Austins with Maggy.
- Grandfather Eaton is a retired minister. He lives in a converted stable on a fictional island called Seven Bay Island.
How the Book Was Published
The first edition of Meet the Austins came out in 1960. It was published after many rejections. This was because the story begins with a death. The original book didn't include a chapter about the children's "Anti-Muffin" club. This club was about accepting different cultures. It showed the Austin children having a close friend who was poor and Hispanic. "Muffins" were a symbol for people who were too similar or snobby.
This missing chapter was published on its own in 1980. It was called The Anti-Muffins. In 1997, a new edition of Meet the Austins was released. This time, it included the "Anti-Muffin" chapter. It became Chapter Five of the book. Even before this, the next book in the series, The Moon by Night, mentioned the Anti-Muffin club. Vicky tells Zachary Gray about it in that book.
