Place of Lewis Carroll in Children's Literature

In this volume, Jan Susina examines the importance of Lewis Carroll and his popular Alice books to the field of children’s literature. From a study of Carroll’s juvenilia to contemporary multimedia adaptations of Wonderland, Susina shows how the Alice books fit into the tradition of literary fairy tales and continue to influence children’s writers. In addition to examining Carroll’s books for children, these essays also explore his photographs of children, his letters to children, his ill-fated attempt to write for a dual audience of children and adults, and his lasting contributions to publishing. The book addresses the important, but overlooked facet of Carroll’s career as an astute entrepreneur who carefully developed an extensive Alice industry of books and non-book items based on the success of Wonderland, while rigorously defending his reputation as the originator of his distinctive style of children’s stories.

"…informative, enlightening, and highly recommended book, an important addition to the literature for general Carrollian readers as well as academics." --Clare Imholtz, Knight Letter, Lewis Carroll Society of North America"The opportunity to learn more — to be startled by facts and surprising pieces of information and perception — is exactly what Susina provides us in this capacious, remarkable book that has broad appeal to nonacademics, scholars, and Carroll specialists. It is a text that generates delight, enthusiasm, and wonder." --Dorothy G. Clark, The Lion and the Unicorn"Highly engaging, it is as well researched as it is, appropriately, curious."- Victorian Studies, "…informative, enlightening, and highly recommended book, an important addition to the literature for general Carrollian readers as well as academics." --Clare Imholtz, Knight Letter, Lewis Carroll Society of North America"The opportunity to learn more — to be startled by facts and surprising pieces of information and perception — is exactly what Susina provides us in this capacious, remarkable book that has broad appeal to nonacademics, scholars, and Carroll specialists. It is a text that generates delight, enthusiasm, and wonder." --Dorothy G. Clark, The Lion and the Unicorn"Reading this book is absorbing and informative. The result is a fascinating study that should prove both indispensable both to further research on Carroll and to contemporary and future studies of publishing and its connections to emerging electronics forms of communication." --Roderick McGillis, Children's Literature

Jan Susina is professor in the English Department at Illinois State University, and has served as both the editor and the book review editor for The Lion and the Unicorn.