James, Anna. Alice With a Why. Matthew Land, Illus. Flamingo, 01/2026. 216pp. Fiction. Trade
$18.99. 978-0-593-69199-1. GRADES 3–7. OUTSTANDING.
Alyce—Alice with a “why”—proves herself a worthy successor to her grandmother, the original Alice of Alice in Wonderland. For years, a skeptical Alyce has listened to her grandmother’s tales of a curious land filled with odd and wondrous creatures. But when a misplaced invitation to a tea party lands young Alyce in Wonderland, those stories spring vividly to life. There, Alyce meets her grandmother’s old friends, makes new ones of her own, and becomes embroiled in a feud between rival royals. This imaginative sequel includes clever wordplay, charming illustrations, and quirky characters while offering emotional depth as Alyce navigates her way through Wonderland in the shadow of her father’s death during WWI. Young readers are most likely to know the original Alice through Disney renditions; consider displaying this book alongside Lewis Carroll’s classic Alice in Wonderland (1865) and Through by Looking Glass (1871). Alice is portrayed as white.
Jenny Andrus—Independent