Bernard Pepperlin

By Cara Hoffman, Olga Demidova (Illustrator)

A sleepy Dormouse must stay awake to save a magical world beyond Wonderland.

3.8/7 Bookroo experts·3.7/5 Goodreads · 246 ratings

224 pages· 26,863 words· Est. 3.5 hour read

$16.99Save 6%

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Bookroo's summary

Transported to modern-day New York, the drowsy Dormouse from Wonderland embarks on an unexpected adventure. When a girl in a blue dress disrupts the Mad Hatter's tea party, Dormouse's curiosity is piqued. A twist of fate propels him into a quest where staying awake is crucial. With the help of revolutionary rats, wise-cracking cats, and coffee-chugging squirrels, Dormouse must summon courage to save a magical realm beyond his wildest dreams. Can he overcome his sleepy nature and embrace the hero within?

“He was just imagining a life of hard work in the service of beautiful things when he heard a series of doors slam.”

— from the book

From the publisher

“Bernard and his newfound friends–revolutionary rats, wise-cracking cats, and coffee-chugging squirrels, to name a few–will delight and inspire readers of all ages!” –Erin Entrada Kelly, Newbery Medal-winning author of Hello, UniverseThe drowsy Dormouse from Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland is transported to modern-day New York City for the adventure of a lifetime in this middle grade novel that’s perfect for fans of Stuart Little and written by critically acclaimed author Cara Hoffman.When a girl in a blue dress crashes the Mad Hatter’s eternal tea party, the sleepy Dormouse feels more awake than he has in a long time. He wishes he could follow her and be a part of her adventure.And as luck would have it, a surprising twist of fate sends the Dormouse on an adventure of his own, where he must not fall asleep. For he is destined to save a magical world outside Wonderland, and it will take all his courage–and a few new friends–to do it.

At a glance

Format
Pages: 224
Words: 26,863
Reading age: 8–12
Audience: Juvenile Reader
Lexile: 800L

Themes & topics

Books about mice Books about mice, hamster, guinea pigs, etc.Books about time travel

What readers & critics say

Reviews

3.8

out of 7

3.0

“I was disappointed by this book. The premise started out fun, pulling a minor character from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, but the story wasn't clever enough to measure up. There was nothing particularly witty or clever about the plot, the efforts at humorous, nonsensical lyrics were dull. Attempts to keep things quirky and surprising a la Lewis Carroll fell flat, especially in the meeting with "Allie" and the climactic battle with the weasels.”

Lemony Snickers

Trusted reviewer

4.5

“I really enjoyed the premise of this story, using the dormouse from Alice in Wonderland to create a new adventure. While there are some fun moments, inventive characters, and a terrific setting (Manhattan), the story development is too abbreviated and progresses too abruptly. Scenes start and end too quickly, and you don’t get to learn half as much as you’d like about the characters—neither the heroes nor the villainous Pork Pie Gang.”

The Goodfather

Trusted reviewer

For readers who can't stop at one