Poetry For Young People: Lewis Carroll

Poetry for Young People

by Lewis Carroll, Eric Copeland (Illustrator), Edward Mendelson (Editor)

A wonderfully illustrated collection of Lewis Carroll with brief introductions to the poems giving insight to children and adults alike.

Genres: Poetry, Picture Books, Childrens, Classics, Fiction, Middle Grade, Kids

48 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2000

About the author

The Reverend Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, better known by the pen name Lewis Carroll, was an English author, mathematician, logician, Anglican clergyman and photographer.

His most famous writings are Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and its sequel Through the Looking-Glass as well as the poems "The Hunting of the Snark" and "Jabberwocky", all considered to be within the genre of literary nonsense.

Oxford scholar, Church of England Deacon, University Lecturer in Mathematics and Logic, academic author of learned theses, gifted pioneer of portrait photography, colourful writer of imaginative genius and yet a shy and pedantic man, Lewis Carroll stands pre-eminent in the pantheon of inventive literary geniuses.

He also has works published under his real name.

Reviews

[Adia · Rating 5 out of 5]

this collection includes pieces from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, as well as poems from other works by Carroll. the artwork in this edition is almost on par with Tenniel's. i adore Carroll's writing.

The hunting of the Snark:
There was also a Beaver, that paced on the deck,
Or would sit making lace in the bow:
And had often (the Bellman said) saved them from wreck
Though none of the sailors knew how.

[Carrot · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.75 / 5

Many silly and serious masterpieces by a real-life magician :D

[Chenoa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was fun. There are facts above each poem that are really interesting, like the fact that Lewis Carroll invented the word chortled. My favourite poem is "Dreamland"

[Natalie · Rating 5 out of 5]

After finding the poems of Edward Lear unamusing, I wasn't sure how I would feel about more "silly" poems, but I was delighted with Lewis Carroll. I found his poems incredibly clever. It wasn't just a bunch of nonsense.

One of my favorite poems. Check out what the first letters spell.

A Boat Beneath a Sunny Sky
BY LEWIS CARROLL

A boat beneath a sunny sky,
Lingering onward dreamily
In an evening of July —

Children three that nestle near,
Eager eye and willing ear,
Pleased a simple tale to hear —

Long has paled that sunny sky:
Echoes fade and memories die:
Autumn frosts have slain July.

Still she haunts me, phantomwise,
Alice moving under skies
Never seen by waking eyes.

Children yet, the tale to hear,
Eager eye and willing ear,
Lovingly shall nestle near.

In a Wonderland they lie,
Dreaming as the days go by,
Dreaming as the summers die:

Ever drifting down the stream —
Lingering in the golden gleam —
Life, what is it but a dream?

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great introduction to Lewis Carroll’s poems. Illustrations are fantastic, tonally consistent with Carroll’s work. I really enjoyed re-reading this, especially “Jabberwocky” and “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Bat” - I had memorized both as a kid. Reading Carroll’s work played a big part in informing my taste in whimsical, nonsensical artistic styles.

[Makenzie Muñoz · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've been a long time fan of Alice in Wonderland!! When I saw this book at a thrift store, it was a no brainer purchase. The illustrations are so good!! There's also an introduction in Lewis Carroll, and a little intro to each poem throughout.

[Katja Labonté · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars & 4/10 hearts. This is a compilation of Lewis Carroll's poems, taken from his books. Most are famous, but there are a couple I've never heard of before. There was a nice little biography, and some good little intros to each of the poems. I was delighted to learn more about some of his poems. I really enjoyed this book, and I know my siblings do too.

A Favourite Humorous Quote: "It is pleasant and dreamy, no doubt, to float / With 'thoughts as boundless, and souls as free': / But, suppose you are very unwell in the boat, / How do you like the Sea? / There is an insect that people avoid / (Whence is derived the verb 'to flee'). / Where have you been by it most annoyed? / In lodgings by the Sea. / If you like your coffee with sand for dregs, / A decided hint of salt in your tea, / And a fishy taste in the very eggs / By all means choose the Sea. / And if, with these dainties to drink and eat, / You prefer not a vestige of grass or tree, / And a chronic state of wet in your feet, / Then - I recommend the Sea."

[Vicki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another "Poetry for Young People" book.

The watercolor painting illustrations are fun.

The write-ups about the poets are always interesting and well-written.

The selection of poems seems well curated for Lewis Carroll fans including well-known favorites such as "Jabberwocky", "The Walrus and the Carpenter" (my favorite Lewis Carroll Poem), and "The Mock Turtle's Song".

Note: There is a mix-up of terms and definitions on page 39 with the definitions for railway-share and bathing-machine being swapped. I always marvel at this kind of error not being caught in editing/proofreading.

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

My kids loves poems, the ridiculous and good humour so we naturally have often loved reading Lewis Carroll's poems together. This edition adds a beautiful little biography at the start and some interesting background info before each poem. We loved this. A first time child reader would probably find it dull.
But the poems aren't dull and can be appreciated at whatever level you happen to read them.
Also the watercolor illustrations are beautifully vivid and funny.

[Makiyah P · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is really interesting. Each poem has a moral and a plot. The poems are adventurous so they never get boring. I like the fact that there are illustrations to go along with the poem because I sometimes have trouble understanding poetry and the illustrations help me understand the moral and what´s going on in the poem. The poems are sometimes written diagonally to go along with the story too. That also helps me understand things like the mood of the poem.

[Houston R · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this book is a good poetic book because there is not just one long poem there is multiple and some are exciting and bring and upbeat feeling. I also liked how the author had written the poems and what they were about, My favorite poem was "rules and regulations".
I recommend this book t anyone who likes poetry or doesn't like poetry.

[Betty Strohecker · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great series, not only for young people! The introduction gives a brief biography of Carroll's life, including a lot of interesting facts about his writing style and politics of the time. This book has a varied selection of poetry, some from the Alice books, but many I had never heard. The illustrations are delightful!

[Tiyahna Ridley-Padmore · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the Poetry for Young People series, Scholastic aims to breath new life into the work of classic poets by making their poetry more accessible to a younger audience. The book includes a biography of the original author as well as a carefully selected series of poems accompanied by illustrations. The Poetry for Young People series also includes a glossary to help define new words that readers may come across.

Lewis Carrol is one of the more youth-friendly poets featured in the series. The curated selection of his poems are engaging and accompanied by lively and action-packed illustrations. The text is a bit small for a book geared towards young people but ultimately this was a great read.

[Whitney Frasier · Rating 5 out of 5]

This school year we have been studying Lewis Carroll in our home. We went through all the poems and this week painted a watercolor of our favorites. The kids loved going through his poems. This book is amazing. The illustrations are beautiful. Before each poem the book provides a little background on each. Loved. 5 ⭐️. For any homeschool mom, put it on your shelf.

[Aimee Fuhrman · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quirky collection. Many of the poems included were, in actuality, only excerpts from longer poems, which was sometimes annoying, but this book still proved a good introduction to Lewis' poetry. And the illustrations were fun.

[Alondra Hernandez · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is full of different books that are all about something different. These book would be beneficial to older elementary kids because the poems are sort of long and the book is also long. The good thing about the book is that each poem had a drawing that accompany's it.

[Tao Zheng · Rating 5 out of 5]

Recently bought this series of classic poetry books for kids. Lewis Carroll's poems is the first one I read. I like how each poem comes with a short remark (background information) and imaginative illustrations.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

So awesome, I bought it!

[Melanie Patrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Poetry examples

[Timalee Guetterman · Rating 5 out of 5]

My kids (14,12,10) surprising really enjoyed this. It’s true, the more poetry you expose them to, the more the come to appreciate it.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

The poems themselves were complete genius. But I didn't particularly like some of the illustrations, and some of the poems were left incomplete. I suppose they didn't want the book to be too lengthy.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Half of Carroll's poems are poking fun at other poems, and they are all thoroughly enjoyable.

[Courtney Clark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gotta love Lewis Carroll.

[Marguerite Corbett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great artwork to go with the poems.

[Paola Durán Suárez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excelentes poemas curiosos, divertidos y llenos de imaginación sobre el mundo y criaturas inventadas por Lewis Carroll.

[Tori · Rating 3 out of 5]

Silly and whimsical poems; a good change of pace from more serious poets.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have never really been a fan of poetry. This almost seems strange to me, as I have been a huge enthusiast of rap music (which is often called “rhythm and poetry”) and of writing poetry. Regardless, reading poetry has always failed to interest me, whether it be because of its vague nature or its strange format. Yet, reading Lewis Carroll's compilation of poems in the “Poetry for Young People” collection was nothing like my original experiences with poetry.
You may have heard of Lewis Carroll from his more-famous works like Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Jabberwocky. These works epitomize the style and themes used in Lewis Carroll's writing-- fun, nonsensical, and incredibly creative. It is so enjoyable to read Lewis Carroll’s poems because they are so imaginative. Often, though, there are special themes hidden under these seemingly silly poems. If I had not read this “Poetry for Young People” collection of Lewis Carroll’s poems, I would likely never have realized these themes.
In this book, a brief synopsis of the poem is given to provide you with a feel for what the poem is about. This is extremely helpful when you are reading the book, because it helps you understand things about author’s intent and even about the author himself. If I had just read Lewis Carroll’s poems without these snippets, I would have written him off as just an immature writer. But like figures in rap, Lewis Carroll writes many “disses” and seems to have “beef” with other authors of media. This knowledge, combined with very detailed drawings, brings a whole new way to read and understand poetry. I strongly recommend reading both works of Lewis Carroll and books that are in the “Poetry for Young People” series. I most strongly recommend that you read Lewis Carroll’s installment in the “Poetry for Young People” series.

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is for a school project so other people reading this, don’t question the format or people I refer to.

Poetry for Young People: Lewis Carroll is a book that contains many small poems in them so I can't really write a summary of it. I really liked the beautifully illustrated pictures and my favourite poem from it is the Jabberwocky. There are words that make no sense and it makes it sound really cool.
For example, "Beware the Jabberwock, my son! The jaws that bite, the claws that snatch! Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun! The frumious Bandersnatch!"
I don't know why but the word frumious makes me giggle. At the top of the page apparently frumious was a mix of "fuming" and 'furious".

I finished this book because the illustrations seem interesting and I haven't really read any poetry in a long time.

I picked up this book because Lewis Carroll's stuff attracts my attention. Some of it makes no sense sometimes (just like me!) and I think it's cool. In Alice in Wonderland, the stuff was pretty darn messed up. A girl falls down a rabbit whole into some weird world with a creepy smiling cat, strange men having tea parties everyday (except for your birthday) and a rabbit that is scared of being late. Sounds weird to me. I like it.

I think Sonya would like to read this book because she's weird too. I've never seen her read poetry though...she'll probably just start laughing at the pictures.

[Cheryl · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love this series. But.
Imo, the illustrations here fail. They're sloppy and ugly, and not in the spirit intended.

I do like the introductory biography, in which it's pointed out that Wonderland is a place where nobody behaves, nobody obeys rules... a response to the preachy works of the times.

There is in the "poems and stories a glimpse of a world of pure enjoyment where everything exists because it gives pleasure, and where everything is valuable because it is itself, not because it serves any useful purpose." Not sure what to make of that, but it's in an intriguing perspective.

But I have say, the best way to appreciate these works is to either read them in context of their respective books, or to hear them as nursery rhyme recitations. By the time a modern child is reading independently, s/he is not likely to be able to feel free to just revel in the nonsense. Otoh, older children and adults can read The Annotated Alice: Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, and, Through the Looking-Glass, edited by Martin Gardner (which I do own and hope to re-read soonish).

[Gabrielle Rullamas · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. Overall it has a great selection of poems by Lewis Carroll and great art work by Erik Copeland. The art work really complimented the poems. What i really enjoyed about this book was that before every poem there was background information given. It talked about if they poem was a parody or from Through the looking glass and other fun facts. They also would include a definition of words that could be unfamiliar to young readers. This is a great book for young readers interested in poetry or fans of the Alice and Wonderland adventures.