ALICE WITH A WHY

ALICE WITH A WHY by Anna James

GREEN LIGHT

AGES: 5TH - 8TH GRADE

Alice With a Why is a story that takes us back to Wonderland. This time instead of following the original Alice, it's her granddaughter Alyce that finds an unexpected way in to the magical world. Thinking that her grandmother's stories were just that, stories, Alyce is shocked to meet in person The Mad Hatter, Cheshire Cat, White Rabbit, and other familiar characters from the original tale. Even though there are similarities between the two adventures with the whimsy and characters, this book is definitely it's own story. Alyce carries a heavy burden. Her beloved father was killed during the Great War that has just recently ended. As she travels through Wonderland, it becomes very evident that she is wrestling with the loss and is blessed to have a reliable guide that helps her on her journey.

SPOLIER ALERT Instead of the two queens as in the original, there is a Sun King and the Queen of the Moon who are warring against each other. At first, I felt as if this was a bit of a mistake to put them in as characters. However, the more you realize the breadcrumb trail of hints that we as readers follow relating to the loss of Alyce's father, I get the feeling of war that this interjects into the story.