An overlooked classic.

Everyone has read Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll (or at least everyone should!) It has a special place in my heart, and I am proud to call it one of my very favorite books. However, the one and only downside to this book is that its prominence in the world of books overshadows its wonderful sequel, Through the Looking-Glass.

Through the Looking-Glass is every bit as good as its predecessor, and I may possibly enjoy it even more. The book is basically the story of Alice's adventures in the backwards world of her own looking-glass. The world is a giant game of chess, in which Alice is a pawn. She attempts, in the midst of her various fantastical adventures, to advance up the "chessboard" in order to become a queen.

It is in this book that we meet Tweedledee and Tweedledum, that we encounter the bed of talking flowers, and that we hear the tale of the Walrus and the Carpenter. Everyone knows these scenes, but their origin is too often overlooked.

With fresh, exciting creativity, a plentiful supply of Lewis' delightfully nonsensical poetry, and wonderfully detailed, quirky illustrations by John Tenniel, Through the Looking-Glass is not a book to be missed.

Illustration by John Tenniel