Through the Looking-Glass

Gr 3 Up–This sequel to Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland takes place six years later, with the beloved Alice stepping through a mirror into a surreal realm where she meets peculiar characters, explores curious landscapes, and attempts to make sense of the nonsensical events around her. Eager to become a Queen by following directions offered on a chess board, Alice seeks—and listens to—the advice of “adults” along the way, even if she doesn’t always take it. Humpty Dumpty’s overworked analysis of portmanteaus in “The Jabberwocky,” for example, only confuses little Alice. This novel is like that poem, a construction of the imagination that delights young readers, who see in its searching but confident protagonist a template for who they may become—or already are. Many current YA and graphic novels would pair well with this classic as mentor texts.