The Lost Wonderland Diaries

July 1, 2020
Wonderland is in danger, and two unlikely heroes must work together to save it. San Jose eighth graders Celia and Tyrus have barely just met at the library when they find the lost diaries of Charles Dodgson--aka Lewis Carroll, narrator Celia's great-great-great-great-uncle--in which the author recorded his very real travels into the parallel world of Wonderland. When the kids accidentally open a doorway to Wonderland, they discover it has changed a lot since the time Carroll visited, and the place is a much darker, more dangerous world for its unhappy inhabitants, who live under the threat of a nefarious hauntstrosity. Tyrus is a bookworm and wordsmith while Celia is a math and logic whiz, and the story puts their newly minted friendship to the test as they learn to work together and use their skills to solve puzzles and riddles, running against time to save Wonderland and get back to their own world. Savage pays homage to Carroll's world with imagination as well as a notable love for math and literature while adding his own ingenious twists to the original. Both Celia and Tyrus struggle with bullying back home, and Celia's dyslexia is a constant source of frustration when other kids underestimate her intelligence, and the book ultimately offers a message of empowerment and self-love. Tyrus is brown-skinned and Celia is assumed white. A fun and clever return to Wonderland. (Fantasy. 10-14)

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October 1, 2020

Gr 3-5-Newfound friends Celia and Tyrus may have opposite interests, but they'll need both their skills to help them save Wonderland. When Celia and Tyrus discover Lewis Carroll's fabled lost diaries, they get pulled into Wonderland, though it's markedly different than the Wonderland that bookish Tyrus expected. As the two bound through episodic chapters, meeting both familiar characters and new ones, Celia flexes her logic skills to help decipher riddles and puzzles. Naturally, things get extra dicey when the Queen of Hearts shows her true colors. This novel succeeds at highlighting the ways in which different talents and interests are beneficial, and how well differences can complement each other. The "logic" of Wonderland feels alternately forced and adroit, and ultimately the tale never quite feels wonderful, despite its premise and pacing. Of positive note is a scene early in the book that demonstrates, via Celia, an excellent way to apologize when you've said something that has hurt someone, even if the result wasn't your intention. Celia is white, Tyrus is Black, and Wonderland is filled with primarily non-humanoid creatures. VERDICT There are many takes on Carroll's famous locale, and while this one is unique, it's not entirely successful. Consider for large collections or voracious fans of Wonderland reworks.-Taylor Worley, Springfield P.L., OR

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October 5, 2020
When dyslexic, math-loving Celia Lofton meets avid reader Tyrus Weller at the library, the two become fast friends, especially when they realize they’ve both just moved to San Jose, Calif., and dread standing out as eighth graders. Then they stumble across a mysterious chest containing the lost diaries of Charles Dodgson, alias Lewis Carroll, from whom Celia is descended. Upon solving the chest’s coded lock, the duo is sucked into the parallel world of Wonderland—which is even less logical and more dangerous than Carroll’s depictions, with many of the inhabitants, including the White Rabbit, transformed into monsters. Heralded as “the Alice,” the sole savior of Wonderland, Celia and Tyrus don’t feel heroic; all they want is to find their way home, which may prove impossible. Savage (the Mysteries of Cove series) packs this loving homage to Carroll’s work with riddles, puns, ciphers, and more, challenging his intrepid heroes at every turn, even as they learn to combine their strengths to overcome their weaknesses. Playing with typography to further embrace its source material’s gleeful absurdity, this adventure captures the Wonderland spirit while updating it for a new era. Ages 8–11. Agent: Michael Bourret, Dystel, Goderich, and Bourret.