Bernard Pepperlin

Written by Cara Hoffman

Narrated by Gary Furlong

“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, Universe

The 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.

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Release date: Sep 17, 2019
• ISBN: 9780062988065

Cara Hoffman

Cara Hoffman is the author of three critically acclaimed novels for adults: Running (a New York Times Editor's Choice), Be Safe I Love You (nominated for a Folio Prize), and So Much Pretty (a New Yorker Books Pick and New York Times Best Suspense Novel of 2011). She is also the author of the popular middle grade novel Bernard Pepperlin (a Junior Library Guild Selection). She has written for Rolling Stone, the New York Times, Paris Review, Bookforum, and National Public Radio, among others, and has been a visiting writer at University of Oxford. She lives in Manhattan and teaches at the Stonecoast MFA program at University of Southern Maine.

Reviews for Bernard Pepperlin

[salsabrarian · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Bernard Pepperlin is the sleepy dormouse from “Alice in Wonderland,” stuck in time and at a tea party with the March Hare and Mad Hatter. When they push him into the teapot, Bernard decides not to fight them and swims down through the teapot, ending up in Manhattan’s Hudson River (?? Not specified, guessing.) where he meets a cat named Mittens fishing in the river. Mittens tells Bernard to be careful of the Pork Pie Gang. Bernard ends being kidnapped by the Pork Pie Gang of weasels and while at their headquarters learns that they plan to shut down the city by forcing everyone to hear them sing. He and the other captives escape and Bernard fights against time to help his new animal friends stop the Pork Pie Gang’s nefarious plan. Works as a read-aloud, with adventure, a bit of humor, and fantasy.