Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, By Lewis Carroll

By: Lewis Carroll, & 

Illustrated By: John Tenniel 

Publisher: Random House UK

Publishing Date: 2007 

Series Titles & Original Publishing Dates: 

1865 (Adventures in Wonderland) 

1872 (Through the Looking Glass)

ISBN: 0099512076

Page #: 336

Classification: Fiction

Genre: Fantasy

Age Level: Children, Teens

 

Subjects: Alternative Realities, Fantasy, Adventure 

Reader's Annotation: Alice's boredom takes her to following a white rabbit that leads her down a hole into a world of her wildest dreams.

Synopsis: After following a white rabbit down a hole Alice travels through an alternative reality of strange places. From the Mad Hatter's tea party to the Queen of Hearts garden Alice is subjected to strange situation after bizarre situations. She drinks potions and pops pills and grows large and grows small. Carroll's vivid story telling mixed with classic illustrations, the adventures of Alice remain to this day not only a literature great, but a cult classic. 

Notes: Many film and animated version of Alice exist. Most recently Tim Burton is shooting a new adaptation die out in 2010 starring Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1014759/

Stars: 5

Extras: Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alice's_Adventures_in_Wonderland

Free Content from Project Gutenberg http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/11

Watch the 1933 Disney classic free here: http://www.squidoo.com/watch-alice-in-wonderland-free-online

Coraline (AUDIO), By: Neil Gaiman

By: Neil Gaiman

Read By: Neil Gaiman
Publisher: Harper Audio
Publish Date: 2002
ISBN: 9780061660160
Length: 3 hours, 3 Compact Discs 
Classification: Fiction

Genre: Fantasy, Horror
Age Level: Children, Teens
Series Title: n/a
Subjects: family, fantasy, kidnapping, parent napping, alternative realities 

Reader's Annotation: Coraline is bored. While her busy, boring parents work she discovers a secret door to another world where everything is better. Or is it?

Synopsis: After moving into a new home, Coraline and her mother and father are forced to do what they do best: Parents work, dad cooks not so yummy food, and Coraline tries desperately to keep herself busy. But while exploring her new home she finds a door that would have connected their side of the house to the next door home in their four-plex building. One day, Coraline opens the door while her parents are gone only to find a new, tastier, prettier world. It's the same, only better! It is complete with her "other" better parents. As Coraline soon finds out, her "other" parents are something "other" all together! Now Coraline has save herself and the world she thought she hated! PS. It's CORALINE, not Caroline!

Notes: The audio book is embellished with the stunning voice work of the author himself which makes the listening experience something all together special. Furthermore, orginal music by The Gothic Archies best known for their music for "A Series of Unfortunate Events" audiobooks.

I couldn't recommend an audiobook more! It's fantastic. 

The film was released in 2009 in both regular format & 3-D by Focus Features.

Stars: 5

Extras: Film Website http://coraline.com/

Author Website http://journal.neilgaiman.com/

Stardust, By Neil Gaiman

By: Neil Gaiman

Publisher: Harper Perennial

Publish Date: June 19, 2001

ISBN: 0060934719

Page #: 272 

Classification: Fiction
Genre: Fantasy
Age Level: Older Teen
Series Title: n/a
Subjects: Romance, Good Vs. Evil, Fairyland, Magic, Comedy, Pirates, Fallen Stars

Reader's Annotation: In the town of Wall, nobody goes beyond the wall. But when Tristan sneaks through he finds out his heritage is something out of Fairyland. In this romantic adventure you'll meet Falling Stars, Flying Pirates, King & Princes, & the most evil queen in Fairyland!

Synopsis: Written in a style reminiscent of the greatest Fairytales ever told, Stardust tells the story of Tristan Thorn. In Tristan's town of Wall, there is a Wall that separates the town from the forbidden "other" side. Tristan's mother comes from the other side of that wall, although Tristan is unaware of his heritage. After falling in love with the prettiest girl in Wall, Tristan sets out to bring her a fallen star in exchange for her hand. Sneaking beyond the wall, Tristan's whole world is changed as he sets out on the most romantic, magical, journey of his life. Although by the time he finds his fallen star, his heart may betray him for another.

Not your average Fairytale, the master storyteller Neil Gaiman writes what is one of my favorite books of all time. A comedy, a love story, and an Adventure, both boys and girls can get on board. 

Notes: 

Stardust was made into a film in 2007 starring Claire Danes, Charlie Cox, Sienna Miller, Ricky Gervais, Jason Flemyng, Peter O’Toole, Michelle Pfeiffer and Robert De Niro! Though everyone always says don't see it before reading the book, I am going to say it with even more fervor here.

Stars: 5

Extras: Neil Gaiman's Teen Page for Stardust  http://www.neilgaiman.com/works/Books/Stardust/ed/118/

IMDB  http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0486655/

MOVIE OFFICIAL http://www.stardustmovie.com/index2.html

The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Vol. 1, By: Alan Moore

By: Alan Moore

Illustrated By: Kevin O'Neill

Publisher: America's Best Comics; 1st edition 
Publish Date: October 1, 2002
ISBN: 1563898586
Page #:
Classification: Fiction
Genre: Graphic Novel
Age Level: Older Teen/Adult

Series Title: 

The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen VOL. 1

The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: VOL. 2

The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: Black Dossier

The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: Century 1910

Subjects: Literary References, 19th Century England, Steampunk, Graphic Novels, Superheros

Reader's Annotation: Introducing Mina Murray and Alan Quatermain and a host of other literary characters as they fight evil in the sky in 19th Century London. Alan Moore, Creator of the Watchmen and Kevin O'Neill illustrating, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen pays tribute to the league of the imagination.

Synopsis:  According to Moore the League is to start a "Justice League of Victorian England" but as his work progressed it became something more. Moore said, in relation to literary characters and the importance of imagination, that "The planet of the imagination is as old as we are. It has been humanity's constant companion with all of its fictional locations, like Mount Olympus and the gods, and since we first came down from the trees, basically. It seems very important, otherwise, we wouldn't have it." In the league of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Moore create an ode to that world. He introduces us to a cast of literary characters/heros. Meet Alan Quatermain, (the main character of H. Rider Haggard's King Solomon's Mines), Mina Murray (the heroine of Stoker's Dracula, now divorced and dishonored by her unfortunate undead adventures with the prince of darkness & now donning her independent unmarried name Murray instead of Harker), Captain Nemo (Captain Nemo from Jules Verne's novels Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea and The Mysterious Island) , Henry Jekyll (and his beastly alter personality) and Hawley Griffin (the Invisible Man), and Professor James Moriarty  the nemesis of  Sherlock Holmes in the work of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Together they fight the Fu Manchu (threatening a potential evil in the sky as they strive to create the ultimate airship) of which London alone doesn't have the ability to protect itself from. 

Notes: Although not well received, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen was made into a film in 2003.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0311429/ 

Stars: 5

Extras: Author Fan Site: http://www.alanmoorefansite.com/

Article on CENTURY: 1910 http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=20197

The Watchmen Movie Official http://watchmenmovie.warnerbros.com/ 

(Extreme Content Warning)

Trailer for LXG movie (For a justice league theme, I don't believe the film does it "justice"):  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9VS10s8l-Eg

A Great and Terrible Beauty (The Gemma Doyle Trilogy)

• By: Libba Bray
• Reading level: Young Adive realities, boarding school, Fathers-Daughters, High Society, laudanum, magic, Mothers-Daughters, mythology, psychic abilities, racism, Romance, Secret Societiesult
  
• Paperback: 432 pages
• Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers, Random House 
• Publishing Date: March 22, 2005
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0385732317

Classification: Fiction

Genre: Fantasy/Paranormal/Historical Fiction

Series Title: 

Gemma Doyle Trilogy

A Great and Terrible Beauty

Rebel Angels

The Sweet Far Thing

Subjects: Alternative Realities, Magic, Romance, Historical Fiction, Secret Societies

Reader's Annotation: After the death of her mother and the stunning realization that she has visions, Gemma Doyle is sent from her home in India to her birthplace of London and a boarding school for High Society women. It is there that she realizes the full extent of her powers and the powers that be.

Synopsis: As opulent as the times, the stunning and addicting story of Gemma Doyle begins in A Great and Terrible Beauty. Starting in the marketplace of India Gemma is longing to go to London to be a proper lady for her 16th birthday. Within a temper tantrum that has her mother trying to find her in the streets of this wild arena, death comes and so does a vision. Gemma is launched into her first vision while her mother is being murdered. From this point forward Gemma is never the same. The character we meet within the first pages quickly is transformed into the Gemma we travel with throughout the entire trilogy. And at her side when her mothers dies and throughout the rest of the take, is Kartik, an indian man who is somehow connected to her mother, to her, and a secret society called the Rakshana. What begins in this story is a rich and complex story of both reality and magic, love and loss, and philosophy and race. Within the school, Gemma befriends a small group of girls that discover her new world with her and help her to discover who she really is. With her new power the world is a new place.

Notes: Lovers of historical fiction with devour this trilogy. Although it has its ups and downs, the beginning to this trilogy will not disappoint. Although not terribly difficult to read, it is dense in metaphor, magic, mythology, philosophy, and race & gender issues. Another great book that both makes you think and takes you on an adventure. Ms. Bray obviously did her homework.  

Stars: 5

Extras: The best young adult writer's website on the web. This website has inspired everything I have done since I saw it for the first time. An official book trailer is in the "parlor."

http://www.randomhouse.com/teens/gemmadoyle/index.html