Edinger House has just completed a grand adventure with Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.  First students followed along in a wide variety of editions (each with a different illustrator) while Ms. Edinger read the book aloud. Along the way, they:

• learned the real people and places behind the book
• considered all the different ways the book has been illustrated, adapted, and altered
• discovered the real poems and songs parodied
• joined in for the chorus of the songs and poems
• heard about bathing machines and other odd aspects of Victorian life
• played games like indoor croquet and doublets
• danced a bit of a quadrille
• ran a Caucus race
• ate confit-stand-ins

They then had a wonderful tea party with funny hats, scones, tarts, tea sandwiches, crumpets, tea (of course!), and more lovely treats. Together Ms. Edinger led them in a reading of “Jabberwocky,” they watched the Hello Kitty version of Alice (which is surprisingly cute).  Finally, they all wrote letters to Lewis Carroll or a favorite characters.  Ms. Edinger even found Carroll’s own font which many used (sometimes in purple as that was an ink color used by Carroll). Here are some of them:

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