Review: Jabberwocky by Daniel Coleman

Summary:

One, two! One, two! and through and through the vorpal blade went
snicker-snack!” Blood pounded in Tjaden’s ears as he breathed in the acrid
odor, and his sword didn’t falter. Not after the convoluted road that had led
him to set out alone to find and slay the manxome Jabberwocky. But the secrets
he’d learned about the Jabberwocky’s sorrowful past made it a sour
victory.

How different would the situation be if the girl he loved wasn’t at risk?
Why didn’t anyone tell him the dark secrets surrounding the Tumtum tree?

Jabberwocky is the untold story behind Lewis Carroll’s epic poem.
Meet the characters and creatures that inhabit the world long before
Alice ever fell down the rabbit’s hole.

Mini Review: This short book does a great job retelling the Lewis Carroll story, with realistic definitions for the words that are nonsense. I got it after hearing Tjaden's encounter with the Cheshire cat, which was spot-on for Lewis' character. I'd hoped there would be more of that kind of interaction, but the story is really a standard boy-becomes-hero tale. However, just because it's a standard tale doesn't take away from the enjoyment. I read the entire thing straight in a few hours, and if you know me and my lifestyle, you know the book had to be good to get me to sit still that long. I'm looking forward to Hatter, Coleman's next book. Great book for middle school readers on up.


Read a Sample at http://www.dcolemanbooks.com/jabberwocky.html