If your kids love Lewis Carroll's Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass they are not alone. Carroll's imaginative characters, whimsical wordplay, and ability to wrap thought-provoking ideas in a surrealist story were groundbreaking when published, and continue to inspire authors today.
This list of books for people who enjoyed Alice's Adventures is focused on read alike books, rather than retellings. Readers who love non-nonsense heroines, fantastical creatures and subversive storytelling will find much to enjoy.
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Table of contents
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Middle Grade Books
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll, illustrated by Tove Jansson
Just in case your kids have only been exposed to Alice through Walt Disney, pick up a copy of the original text to read aloud. New York Review Books has republished the 1966 version Carroll's classic illustrated by Finnish illustrator Tove Jansson, the creator of the beloved Moomins. If you decide to add an edition other than the one with original illustrations by John Tenniel, I heartily recommend this one!
The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster
Juster's timeless favorite in the story of Milo, a bored kid who one day finds instructions for a mysterious Phantom Tollbooth. He puts it together and drives through only to find himself on the most confounding and marvelous journey of his life. No one can possibly pick up every nuance of this book on the first reading, so be sure to have one on your bookshelf to read again and again. Ages 8 and up.
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (series) by L. Frank Baum
The Oz books are must-read books for kids and kids can read all 14 books in a row without having to be concerned that the age appropriateness of the text will advance as it does in the Harry Potter series. Because Baum's Oz books are in the public domain, there are some terrible versions out there. Be sure to get the books with the original text and full color illustrations.
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Furthermore by Tahereh Mafi
A magical, mysterious, modern day Alice in Wonderland-like book. 12-year-old Alice is determined to find her father after he disappears from Farenwood. Alice is a bit of a misfit. In a world full of color, she has pure white hair and white skin, and she performs miserably at the magic competition, when all 12-year-olds are supposed to display their unique talent. After the competition, Alice and a boy, Oliver, set off on a topsy-turvy, inside-out and upside-down adventure into Furthermore to find and bring back her father. Ages 9 and up.
MORE: Big List of Fantasy Novels for Kids
The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making (series) by Catherynne M. Valente, illustrated by Ana Juan
12-year-old September's adventure begins with Green Wind appears at her window and invites her to leave Omaha and come with him to Fairyland. September travels to Fairyland and solves a puzzle to gain entrance. Once there she must complete a task to help Fairyland's inhabitants escape the highhanded rule of the Marquess. Fans of Wonderland and Oz will quickly add September to their list of favorite heroines alongside Alice and Dorothy. Ages 9 and up.
Windswept by Margi Preus
I have never met a Margi Preus book I didn't love. Preus draws upon Norse folklore and other fairy tales to create a wholly original story. In Tag's village, adults require that "youngers" stay indoors until they are 15-years-old, lest they disappear in the mysterious snow squalls that appear without warning. After Tag's three older sisters are "windswept," she is determined to venture outside and find them. She and a small group of other youngers set out to the mountains to find the lost children. Along the way, and with the help of the eccentric people she meets, Tag discovers strength she did not know she had. Marvelous. Ages 10 and up.
The Prince of Nowhere by Rochelle Hassan
I confess that I did not see the twist coming in this time traveling tale. Other readers may figure out the twist earlier but it won't take away from the page-turning nature of this fast-paced story. Roda lives with her mother and aunt in a city surrounded by a freezing mist. She starts to get mysterious anonymous letters which foretell of things to come and which lead her to an injured crow. The crow turns out to be Ignis, a shapeshifter from Aerlands, outside the mist. Events soon have the pair following clues from the letters which take them on an incredible journey. Ages 9 and up.
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The Great Good Thing (series) by Roderick Townley
Do characters seem real beyond the pages? Well, that's because they are. In this metafictional tale, Sylvie decides that 80 years of living the same story over and over as the character in a book has gotten a bit dull. She decides to break the most important rule of all book character rules: she looks up at The Reader. Townley explores the wonder of books and how they merge with our imaginations and lives. I heartily recommend this for grown-ups, too.
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Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones
Jones wrote loads of fantasy novels and you might recognize the title of this one because it was made into a successful animated movie. However, it’s such a captivating book, don’t limit yourself to the film version. Young Sophie is transformed into an old woman by The Witch of Waste and the only way to break the spell is to seek out the Wizard Howl in his bizarre moving castle. Ages 8 and up.
Zorgamazoo by Robert Paul Weston
The fast-paced, clever, rhyming verse novel follows Katrina Katrell, who runs away from her evil guardian, and alights on an adventure with a strange creature called a Zorgle from Zorgamazoo. A twisting mystery, with bizarre and hilarious characters follows. Ages 8 and up.
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The Clockwork Crow (series) by Catherine Fisher
While 12-year-old orphan, Seren Rhys, waits for the train to her new home, a man leaves a mysterious box with her for safekeeping. He also gives her a warning: don't assemble the contents. (You know she obviously will!) Seren's new home in Wales is a rambling manor, abandoned by the family after the mysterious disappearance of their son. Despite the housekeeper's sharp admonitions, Seren is determined to find the missing boy, along with the help of the newly assembled Clockwork Crow. Ages 8 and up.
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Beyond the PawPaw Trees (series) by Palmer Brown
When Anna Lavinia's father left home to chase a double rainbow, he left behind a mysterious silver key. Anna Lavina sets off "beyond the paw paw trees" that populate the walled garden of her home in search of her dad and the meaning behind the key. Her journey starts with a marvelous train ride which takes her to a place full of wondrous inhabitants. In the sequel, The Silver Nutmeg, Anna Lavinia travels to an upside-down mirror land where instead of gravity, there is "the tingle" (!). Ages 8 and up.
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Young Adult (YA)
Cheshire Crossing by Andy Weir, illustrated by Sarah Andersen
No one except the teenagers at the boarding school Cheshire Crossing believes the adventures Alice, Wendy Darling, and Dorothy Gale claim to have had. Now the trio is hopping from one universe to another and in doing so, they accidentally bring together Captain Hook and the Wicked Witch of the West. Now, the girls must work together to save the world from the villainous pair. (Graphic novel) Ages 11 and up.
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The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
Find it: Bookshop (original) Bookshop (illustrated) | Amazon (original) Amazon (illustrated)
What young teen wouldn't love this weird and hilarious science fiction classic? After Earth is destroyed by hostile aliens, Arthur Dent picks up a guide labeled "DON’T PANIC." What follows is an adventure that has become part of pop culture since its publication. There's even a new version illustrated by Chris Riddell. Ages 11 and up.
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Heartless by Marissa Meyer
Heartless tells the backstory of the Queen of Hearts. Long before Alice fell down the rabbit hole, Lady Catherine wanted to open a bakery. However, the King of Hearts has his eye on her, and her parents have greater ambitions for her. Readers will encounter many of the quirky characters who inhabit Lewis Carroll's stories as Catherine struggles to regain control of her own destiny. Ages 12 and up.
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