This books is such fun! It had just the right amount of Wonderland madness. Kids that enjoy solving puzzles will really like the riddles inside. Though the main characters are polar opposites, they work so well together.

“Something monstrous has been found in the magic world of Wonderland and it wants to get out.” https://www.jscottsavage.com/books/the-lost-wonderland-diaries/

I read the classic story of Alice in Wonderland many years ago as a senior. All I really remember is that my teacher criticized my portrayal of Alice telling me that I didn’t know anything about four-year olds. She was right, I didn’t. But I did understand that no one would really believe the story about Wonderland other than as the make-believe experiences of a young girl named Alice.

Then along comes the story told in The Lost Wonderland Diaries by J. Scott Savage. Celia is a soon to be eighth grader who has been moved across the country by her Mom, a newly hired head librarian. She must endure the last few days of her summer vacation stuck in the library. Reading is not her thing because she has dyslexia. While helping her Mom search for a lost child she meets Tyrus a book nerd. They happen upon some diaries written by Charles Dodgson, aka Lewis Carroll in her Mom’s office and while solving a puzzle are swept into Wonderland. It’s not the Wonderland as Tyrus remembers reading in Alice in Wonderland, but a dark and dangerous place. Tyrus excited about saving Wonderland and Celia hoping it’s just a nightmare must work together if they want to save Wonderland and get back home.

This story of friendship and celebration of differences stays true to the original story yet takes its own twist on the adventure. Certain to be a hit with middle grade readers, The Lost Wonderland Diaries is a fast-paced journey that will bring readers together across generations. Savage not only writes a marvelous spin on the classic tale; he develops two young people with their own difficulties who discover they are more together than alone. And to top it all off he uses our old favorites and adds other Wonderland characters to write a fulfilling story.

You’ll find J Scott Savage across all social media platforms sharing the writing adventure that is called The Lost Wonderland Diaries. Share it with your middle grade readers, soon!

Thanks to NetGalley and Shadow Mountain Publishing for providing the opportunity to read and review this E-Arc.

I am a huge fan of Alice in Wonderland in all its forms, and I love re-tellings so if you are nitpicky then you may have comments. Personally I loved this and it only adds to the Alice in Wonderland, without changing anything. Highly highly recommend this to all ages and I hope to see more about the other diaries!

4/5 stars
This was a cute and whimsical middle-grade fantasy book. I was instantly drawn in by the bio - I love retellings and Alice in Wonderland. The reason I took off a star is because the middle lagged a little. The pacing was ok. The beginning was a little slow, the middle lagged, and the ending flew by. I liked all of the characters. Tyrus and Celia were great protagonists! I am an avid reader, like Tyrus, so I related to him the most. The plot was great! The twist(s) were a little predictable, and I love how the ending turned out. The setting was amazing! I loved how Wonderland was brought to life! I would recommend this book to anyone who likes Alice in Wonderland or middle-grade fantasy novels.

What a wonderful twist on the original books. I enjoyed reading this and going on the adventure with Celia and Tyrus. The challenges they faces were great and I would definitely recommend this to the 5th graders. It drones on a bit in some spots but I dont think that they would catch on or mind.

Full review on my blog later.

This was a super cute story about two kids getting lost in Wonderland and having to save it. I have not actually read any of the Alice stories, but I think this was a great prelude into those stories and now I want to read them. I loved Celia and Tyrus. They were so cute and the fact that they were opposites was great. I can't wait for the finished copy to come out to add to my collection.

My 11 year old daughter read this and loved it. Here is her review:
This book was funny and exciting! I had so much fun reading it. If you read and enjoyed The Land of Stories series then you will love this book too. I would recommend this book for sure!

Celia has just moved to a new town with her mom, who is a librarian. This means Celia has to spend her summer at the library. Unlike her mother, she hates reading. She'd prefer to spend her day solving logic puzzles and doing math problems. It's mostly because her dyslexia gets in the way.

At the library, she runs into the book nerd, Tyrus. He's a young man who's such a trouble maker that he'll sneak behind the library counter to steal a book from the cart and shelf it. He loves shelfing books that much.

The two of them discover the lost diaries of Lewis Carroll and somehow get sucked into Neverland through them.

This felt like a hybrid of Phantom and the Tollbooth and Alice in Wonderland. It's an incredibly clever and fun book with riddles and puzzles they must get through. It feels like a book that should be in every classroom. Such a fun read! The characters are incredibly fun and creative and the plot is fascinating. The author did such a clever job of creating this world.

The Lost Wonderland Diaries is a whimsical middle grade novel and Alice in Wonderland inspired story. The writing style is reminiscent of the original story. The characters are captivating and the book has a fun thread of humor throughout.

I cannot say enough good things about this book! It was absolutely fabulous. I have nothing bad to say. I think adults and children alike can enjoy and appreciate this book! I LOVE that J. Scott Savage included information about Dodgson/Carroll and that this book was not just a retelling of Alice in Wonderland. It is SO MUCH more than a retelling. It’s a book that tells kids (and adults) who have never fit in that it’s ok to be different. It’s educational. It’s funny. It’s suspenseful and exciting. It’s just great all around. I am eagerly looking forward to the next book!

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Shadow Mountain Publishing and J. Scott Savage for the ARC of The Lost Wonderland Diaries in exchange for my honest review.

I will be posting a full review closer to the publication date on my blog and Instagram!

I'm always on the hunt for new Wonderland retellings/reimaginings, so I was very excited when I got the approval for The Lost Wonderland Diaries. This book was so much more entertaining than many of the retellings I have read recently. While the plot is one that felt kind of familiar, the characters here were great. I even enjoyed the new characters, such as Slyvan, which doesn't happen often when I reenter the world of Wonderland. I'm kind of a purist when it comes to this story and I tend to prefer sticking to the original characters, so I was pleasantly surprised when Slyvan ended up being one of my favorite characters in the book.

I think my overall favorite part of this book is the puzzles and riddles the children are confronted with throughout their journey. I felt like I was getting some bonus brain exercises while reading this book, which is impressive considering I'm significantly older than the target audience!

Overall, this was a very fun, entertaining story that I think will appeal to boys and girls, adults and children. I really hope a sequel finds its way onto shelves eventually!

I received this book from Net Galley in exchange for my honest review.

I couldn't wait to read Savage's newest middle-grade book because I LOVED The Mysteries of Cove series. He's an author that always has me rooting for his characters.

Would The Lost Wonderland Diaries live up to both Savage's reputation and the genius of the original? That might seem like a lot to ask of one man.

Here's the skinny - I think Savage is brilliant. Not only does he play with the original scenes we all know, he adds to Wonderland with a twist and new storyline. As soon as I saw the tricky numbers and hungry crocodile, I knew I'd entered Wonderland. Some of my highlights without giving big spoilers include a white rabbit (I want to pet you), a mad tea party (definitely an elbows on the table affair), Cheshire (he can come live with me anytime - I'm sure we'd get along because he knows what it takes to be a good friend), the ball (books with dancing are awesome whether you keep your head or not) , the twisty twist at the end (oh, you clever, clever author - I'll read more to see how you pull off the magic tricks again).

Outside of the fanciful plot, I loved the characters. Both Celia and Tyrus with their different interests and strengths are the perfect avatars to take us on this unique journey to save Wonderland. Don't we all live a line between logic and imagination? These two ideas come into play throughout the story as the characters work through who they are and what Wonderland needs.

I've experienced some characteristics of dyslexia: mixing up words, sentence structure, and a couple of letters. Because of this mild experience, I really enjoyed Celia who is dyslexic and great at math (True confession: I am not great at math). I worked in an elementary school art program at the class level which included children who experience neurodiversity. They have so many strengths not seen in traditional learning environments and often excelled in art. This book is a celebration of our differences. I believe Celia is a character all children can cheer for and love.

Tyrus is equally delightful because of his love of books, acceptance of others, and enthusiasm. The two kids complement one another. He is excited to be in Wonderland and anxious to save it no matter the cost. Celia is hesitant and focused on logic, ready to get home. Books are built on great characters even more than clever ideas. As Celia and Tyrus work their way through Wonderland's problems, they build a friendship of give and take. They value and respect one another. Can you imagine what the world would be like if we all learned these same lessons?

Savage handles the heart of the story with a deft hand. He lets the readers draw their own conclusions. I believe children will adore the adventure, and tuck the lessons away in their heart, not even knowing they learned while having fun.

I highly recommend this book, but only if you want a fun adventure.

How will you save Wonderland?

A whimsical fantasy adventure of two unlikely friends who fall into a Wonderland that's plagued by a darkness that seeks to open the door to earth. While Celia loves math and logic, Tyrus loves books and fantasies. Can their new friendship survive such opposing viewpoints? If they hope to find their way back home, they'll have to work together despite such stark differences.

I loved the characters and their very heartfelt fears about going to a new school. They each have been bullied because of their differences. In Wonderland, they'll come face to face with these fears while also meeting the most odd, misfit people that populate this world. It will challenge them in earnest. Their struggles are easily felt even as an adult who's gone through the terror of a new school in a new town and the fear of being different.

Savage does a great job creating a Wonderland-esque journey that strongly harkens to the original work while also making it fresh. I've seen the Disney movie and never really liked it. Too much nonsense. But I've found its the remakes I really enjoy as they find that perfect balance of nonsensical and meaningful. "The Looking Glass Wars?" Awesome. This book? Loved even more.

The new take on very familiar characters was refreshing, the clever wordplay was sublime, the creative solutions to problems that could only arise in a place like Wonderland were delightful, and the character growth was impactful. The characters feel age appropriate while also discovering new ways of seeing themselves. The world building is mischievously enchanting. This book would sit very comfortably on a shelf next to Chris Colfer's "Land of Stories." Highly recommended!

This is a really fun book. I have read many books that follow a similar concept where kids go into a book. But this was the first one with Alice in Wonderland. The world of Alice in Wonderland really lends itself to this. It has many familiar characters as well as some new ones. Though it does require a fairly good understanding of Alice in Wonderland to really enjoy it. I did find that there were moments where the author forgot the audience because with a middle school novel you should not have to explain Minecraft.

This book is the PERFECT Alice in Wonderland inspired middle grade novel I've had the pleasure to read. I heard the author talk about it at a conference in February, and I've been anxiously waiting to read it ever since. It did not disappoint.

Celia is such a relatable main character, and she has dyslexia. I absolutely loved the portrayal of her struggle with words and the little tricks she uses to help. I worked tutoring elementary school aged kids in reading and math for three years and came across a few who were dyslexic. I wish I'd been able to read this book with them.

Besides the lovable main character, the story was so charming. It felt very true to Lewis Carroll's world and was chock-full of word play, riddles, and quirky characters. Plus there were really fun text features that were very engaging. I found myself giggling multiple times throughout the book.

Add to all this a great plot and supporting cast of characters and this book is an all around winner. I can't wait to share it with my kids.

Fantastic author! Wonderful book. Thank you for the wonderful opportunity to read this. Would definitely recommend this

WHO IS THE TARGET AUDIENCE?

This book is intended for children 8-11 years old or grade level 4-6. I will testify that people of all ages will enjoy this story, as I am much older than 11 and I enjoyed this very much.

SYNOPSIS

The Lost Wonderland Diaries is a wonderful story about a young girl and her friend in Wonderland. Celia is the main character and she is dyslexic. She befriends a young boy named Tyrus who happens to be a book worm. Together they accidently get sucked into Wonderland. Their guide in Wonderland is a charming new character named Sylvan. She is a young rabbit, barely out of bunnyhood, and tasked with finding “Alice” to save Wonderland. Together they have many adventures.

Celia is the daughter of a librarian, which for her is a nightmare because of her difficulty reading. Due to her dyslexia, Celia has put more effort into learning mathematics. Tyrus is a bit of a book nerd with a giant imagination. Celia and Tyrus must combine her knowledge of math with his imagination and knowledge of books to solve puzzles and riddles while making their way through Wonderland and avoiding its hazards.

Something terrible is happening in Wonderland when they arrive. The characters are being turned into monsters! Celia, Tyrus and Sylvan must navigate a variety of hazards, puzzles and monsters not only to get home but to stop whatever is happening in Wonderland. With the help of some of the original cast of characters and a few new ones, they work their way through wonderland discovering not only what is happening, but they discover themselves in the process!

Celia knows math and logic, Tyrus knows books and imagination, and when the two accidentally find themselves in a different and strange land, they are tasked with finding a way home. Soon they figure out they are in Wonderland but not the one Tyrus knows or Celia's great great grandfather wrote about in his story about Alice and her adventures here. But as they work their way through wonderland they make a few friends to help them along the way.

This is a wonderful book on friendship, no matter their differences and how they can do things better together than separate. Celia is dyslexic (a neurodiversity that is close to my heart, as I am dyslexic too but no one knew much about it or any of Celia's tips when I was a kid) and Tyrus just likes books and going to those places in his books as a get away, I do this a lot now. They are both no stranger to being teased and they both are new to the area and school. So I fell in love with these characters right away, they are perfect for this story. Although I have never read Alice's adventures I am interested in it now. The non-stop action and building of suspense are just right and at the right moments. This is a book for everyone to enjoy as there is something in it for everyone.

This review will appear on my blog on Sept 8th.

Another great book from J. Scott Savage. Based on Alice in Wonderland this a much more fun and exciting book. It takes place after the original stories and is a fun way to keep the craziness going.

This was a wonderfully creative book that I thoroughly enjoyed. My 9-year-old daughter read it too, and she also loved it and says she would recommend it for kids her age who love adventure stories.