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From Fantasy Literature in the Elementary Classroom Strategies for Reading, Writing, and Responding by Monica Edinger Scholastic Professional Books, 1995 STUDENT PACKETTHE MANY FACES OF ALICE INTRODUCTION One of the most well known books ever written for children is Alice in Wonderland. It was written well over one hundred years ago in England yet remains remarkably popular all over the world. Just as fairy tales like Cinderella began as tales told by storytellers, so did Alice in Wonderland begin as a series of stories told by Lewis Carroll to Alice Liddell and her two sisters. Eventually, just as the most well known fairy tales were written down and published in books, so did Lewis Carroll write down his stories into what we now know as Alice in Wonderland. If you have not yet read (or heard) the real Alice in Wonderland, then you are in for a treat. It is imaginative, crazy, funny, clever, and wild all at the same time. Enjoy! Our study of Alice in Wonderland will focus on the following:* Pure enjoyment of the book! I will read this book to you so you may read along if you wish or simply sit back and listen. * A closer look at the puns, puzzles, and jokes in the book. Lewis Carroll was a mathematician and threw in all kinds of puzzles in the book. He also loved puns (word plays) and making fun of popular activities of his day. * The life and times of Lewis Carroll. Lewis Carroll was a fascinating, brilliant man. In addition to being a scholar at Oxford University, he was a photographer and a minister. * A close study of the many illustrators of Alice in Wonderland While you may know the Tenniel illustrations best, you will be intrigued by the many other illustrators of the book. It is so well known that everyone seems to want to illustrate it. You will see how the book has been illustrated in different times, countries, and media. | LEWIS CARROLL Lewis Carroll's real name was Charles Lutwidge Dodgson. He spent most of his life at Oxford University, England, teaching mathematics. Apparently he wasn't a great teacher; his classes were known to be dull and boring. Although we know him best as the author of the Alice books, he also wrote books about mathematics. Quite shy as an adult, he was most comfortable with children, especially little girls. Alice Liddell was his most famous child friend, but he had many throughout his life. He stuttered when nervous; perhaps that is why he seems to have been more comfortable with children than adults. In addition to writing mathematics books and creating fantasy stories, Lewis Carroll enjoyed photography. Many of his photos of child friends remain. Certainly, there are many of Alice Liddell . After the publication of Alice in Wonderland and Alice Through the Looking glass, Carroll wrote other books for children. Unfortunately, they were not as good as the Alice books and are only of interest to Carroll scholars today. Lewis Carroll died on January 14, 1898. THE CREATION OF ALICE IN WONDERLAND Alice in Wonderland began as a story told on a boat trip. Lewis Carroll and his friend, the Reverend Robinson Duckworth, took the three Liddell girls out on the Thames River on July 4,1862. The three girls were Lorina, age thirteen, Alice, age ten, and Edith, age eight. Carroll wrote about the expedition in his diary and later added a note that it was then that he had told the story of Alice's adventures underground. Alice so enjoyed the story that Carroll decided to write it down for her. (Remember, this was before typewriters or computers.) He finally presented her with Alice's Adventures Underground on November 26, 1864. The book was beautifully handwritten with illustrations by Lewis Carroll himself. Before Carroll gave the book to Alice, he showed it to some friends who felt he should publish it. So he revised the book, changed parts, added parts, and found John Tenniel to do the illustrations. The book we know today, Alice in Wonderland, came out in 1865. It was a huge success. Before long it was known throughout the world. There are people today who collect Alices from all over the world. One collector had Alices in 125 different languages! ILLUSTRATORS OFALICE IN WONDERLAND The very first illustrator of Alice was Lewis Carroll himself. Since he was not a professional illustrator, when he decided to publish the book he looked for a well known illustrator. John Tenniel was a well known cartoonist; Alice was his first children's book. Carroll worked closely with Tenniel to see that the illustrations were just as he wanted them. Tenniel also illustrated Alice Through the Looking glass. Throughout Lewis Carroll's life, he and Tenniel were the only published illustrators of the book. After Lewis Carroll died, other well known illustrators attempted to illustrate the book. One of the first, Arthur Rackham, was already well known. Over the years, many others have attempted to illustrate the book. Alice has been presented as a nineteen twenties flapper, as an African American, and as an Australian aboriginal. Every artist who takes on Wonderland makes it this or her own. Hopefully, you will too. MEMORIES OF ALICE IN WONDERLAND What do you know of this book? Perhaps you saw the Disney cartoon or acted in a play version? Did you ever read it or have it read to you? Perhaps you just vaguely know about it; that's just fine too. Write down what you know of Alice in Wonderland here.
________________________________________ READING ALICE IN WONDERLAND I will read this book to you. You will listen or follow along in the different illustrated editions. We will need to rotate the different versions through the class so everyone has a chance to look at them. It is important to handle these books carefully. Begin with clean hands and be careful as you turn pages. They are works of art and deserve your gentle care. As I read the book to you, we will stop the reading when necessary to look at illustrations, to consider why different artists made the choices they made regarding what they illustrated and didn't and how they illustrated parts of the book. We will also interrupt the reading to discuss the puzzles and jokes in the book. How often we stop will depend on what the class wishes. For example, if the class would rather wait till the end of a chapter before looking at all the illustrations, that is what we will do. Each class I've done this unit with has its own way of doing it. l will respect the way this particular class wishes to approach the reading, the observing of references and illustrations, and the discussion . RESPONDING TO ALICE IN WONDERLAND You will be asked both during and at the end of the readings to respond in your journal to the book and whatever comes up in discussions as we study the text and the illustrations. QUESTIONS TO PONDER AFTER READING ALICE IN WONDERLAND
How did you like the book?
________________________________________ Is it a fairy tale? Why or why not?
________________________________________ Which character did you like best and why?
________________________________________ Which illustrator did you like best and why?
________________________________________ FINAL ALICE IN WONDERLAND PROJECT Now that you have seen what all those other artists did, you are going to do your own illustrations of Alice in Wonderland! Think carefully about what scenes you want to illustrate, what materials you wish to use, etc. Be creative and have fun! Remember not only all the different ways this book has been illustrated, but all the ways traditional fairy tales are approached by writers, filmmakers, and artists. Your path is wide open!
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