Birthdays in January ~ Tolkien, Milne, Carroll

For our first Sunday Mini-Challenge of 2014, I am inviting three writers of fantasy fiction to the Imaginary Garden.

J.R.R Tolkien
b. 3 January 1892
"Not all those who wander are lost."

J.R.R Tolkien was born in Bloemfontein, South Africa. He could read by the age of four and write soon after. His mother was a great source of encouragement to him, his primary teacher before she died when Tolkien was 12 years old. The Hobbit was published in 1937, and his magnum opus, Lord of the Rings, was written between 1937 - 1949, much of it during World War 2.

A.A. Milne
b. 18 January 1882
"The things that make me different
are the things that make me."

A. A. Milne was born in Hampstead, England and grew up at Henley House School, where his father was Headmaster. One of his teachers was H.G. Wells. Milne was a prolific writer of plays, poetry and novels but these were over-shadowed by the success of his children's novels, Winnie-the-Pooh, published in 1926, and The House at Pooh Corner, published in 1928.

Lewis Carroll
b. 27 January 1832
"Why, sometimes I've believed in as many as
six impossible things before breakfast."

Born Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, in Chesire, England, Lewis Carroll is renowned for his novel Alice's Adventures in Wonderland in 1865, followed by Through the Looking Glass in 1872. Alice's story began as a piece of whimsy meant to entertain three little girls on a boating trip in 1862. Poets.org.

Each of these authors has provided the world with a legacy of literary treasure, which continues to impact on successive generations of children, who carry their tales into adulthood. Please follow the links below to peruse through many snippets of their writing on Goodreads.com.

J.R.R Tolkien
A.A. Milne
Lewis Carroll

The theme for this mini-challenge is FANTASY. Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary plot element, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic and magical creatures are common. (wiki definitions)
You may choose a particular work, quote or character created by one of our featured authors, or create an entirely original piece. New poems are preferred for this challenge.