Reddit reviews Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

So, given the recent kerfluffle about people entering contests too much, feel free to disregard this one but my books are my prized possessions and I had to write this.

I love love LOVE this!

I was a rare and antique book dealer, many moons ago, and am happily wrapped in a sever case of bibliophilia so I can't agree more that books are something to be treasured.

When I was a child, back when dirt was the latest and greatest thing, I made a promise to myself that I would read at least an hour a day. For pleasure! Not just the newspaper or the like. I'm still proud to say that since the age of 12 I have done just that. I will go without sleep for an hour just so that I can read.

Good on you for this one. Good on you tea.

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The books that I want EVERY child to read are a bit. . . different.

I recently fell in love with Pat Rothfuss and have devoured his books as soon as they come out. His latest release is something of a departure. A small novela called The Slow Regard of Silent Things in which a minor character from his main series is spotlit in a unique way.

This book, in my opinion, can (and does) help children to understand that different isn't always bad. That feelings are both important and personal. That sometimes having things be just right is the right thing to do. The language isn't difficult, it's a BLAST to read out loud with someone, and can be enjoyed by just about every genre reader of any age!

My next choice is a more traditional choice for children. But not for the traditional reasons!

Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland!

This is one that I think is so overlooked by people of every age. And that's so sad for me. Carroll may, well. . . let's be honest here he DID, have some issues but something that I think he got spot on was his ability to make both the absurd and silly MEANINGFUL though his words and stories!

Through all the adventures and the creatures and the characters something that is telling throughout the whole of the story. . . Being a child is fun! It should be fun! Because if you're not having fun, you're doing it wrong!

I have personally read these stories dozens of times. For myself, for my nieces and nephews, and more again for me!

Last choice is one that I may have to defend here.

The greatest introduction to space, sci-fi, fantasy, and. . . towels!

The Ultimate Hitchhiker's Gude to the Galaxy by the amazing Douglas Adams!

In my opinion the story alone is broad enough to engage children, as well as young adults, as well as teens, due to the simplicity of characters and the variety of situations.

But!

The more often you read these books the better they get! The more you learn about the world at large the funnier the books get!

When I first read Hitchhiker's I was a mere lad of 10 and thought it was a cute book. When I read it again at age 16 I thought it was hysterical! At 21 it was a thought provoking comedy in the vein of Shakespeare! At 25 I thought 21 year old me was a tool, but thought the books were great!

The more you read them, or have them read to you, the better they get!

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I also wanted to point out this article on the front page of /r/books from the NYT that talk about one of the best things you can do for a child is to own books. Shelves full of books!

So thank you for doing this. Thank you very much.