6 Degrees of Separation: From Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland to My Father’s Shadow

It’s time once again for the book nerd’s version of Six Degrees of Separation, where Kate from booksaremyfavouriteandbest suggests a starting book, and anyone can join in by linking it to six other titles—even you!

This month, our chains are starting with Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.

Although I know the story reasonably well, I don’t know if I ever read it all the way through as a child. I was much more familiar with a different Lewis—C.S. Lewis—and the wonderful The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.

I recently purchased the Italian version of it, which is translated as Il leone, la strega e l’armadio. Another book I have in Italian is Pandamonia by Western Australian duo, Chris Nixon and Chris Owen.

I discovered the Italian translation in a Florence bookshop when I visited last year, accompanied by a 3D reproduction of the gorgeous rhinoceros from Once Upon a Small Rhinoceros by Meg McKinlay. This has continued to be my favourite picture book since its publication in 2017 (I’m sure I’ve mentioned it several times before!), when I read it to a young student I mentor.

Another book my student enjoys reading is Fish Jam by Kylie Howarth, who generously donated a class set to 12 Buckets, the organisation where I’m a mentor. Together we are practising reading this aloud, and in the future we may read it to a pre-primary class.

I recently sat next to Kylie at a quiz night, organised by SCBWI West (the Western Australian branch of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators). On the other side of me was Jen Banyard, author of Mystery at Riddle Gully, which I’ve just ordered from my local library.

Growing up, I loved a good mystery, and devoured every Famous Five, Secret Seven, Nancy Drew or Trixie Beldon I could find. The most recent mystery I’ve read, however, is My Father’s Shadow by Jannali Jones. I won’t give too much away as I’m in the middle of a review for Writing WA, but I can tell you that I picked it up one Saturday morning, and spent most of the day on the couch until I finished it late that afternoon.

My chain began with books that took us on journeys into other worlds, then shifted to picture books about animals exploring their worlds,before finishing with page turning mysteries and thrillers.

Over to You

Where will six degree of separation take you?