Spotlight on : The Alice series

Alice series is written by the one and only, Phyllis Reynolds Naylor. Ok, so this might not be YA but hey, don't we all love a lil kids books sometimes? Well, this is my favourite series. The series begins with Alice Mckinley just moving in to Silver Spring and starting the sixth grade.



I admit, I haven't read all of the books in the series. And I don't read it in order either. But hey, you can't really blame me especially when the first book was published 8 years before I was even born. From what I've read, I like. This series is mainly about Alice dealing with her life. What I really like about it is how Naylor takes us on a ride with Alice. While Alice grow, we grow too. She matures with every book. Everytime I read this series, it feels like catching up with a long-lost friend. Alice's narrative voice is funny too. You can see how she ages from book to book. As the main character grows up, the topic broadens. Alice is your typical teenager who deals with real issues as any other teenagers. The content of the books made it topped ALA's list of most challenged books on 2003.


I've never been a fan of series, to tell you the truth. And Alice is no exception. This is such a long series. Naylor plans to write 28 books in all. So I might have skipped most of it. What I really enjoyed was that you can start from any book and still be able to go along with the book as Naylor always explains the important details from the previous books. It might put some of you off, having to read what you've already known but I love the conveniency of it.

SUMMARY :
The Alice series follows the main character, Alice McKinley, known as "Al" to her father and older brother as she grows up in Silver Spring, Maryland. Her mother died of leukemia when Alice was four or five. Alice has a hard time at first growing up in an all-male household, but her father and her brother, Lester, prove to be honest and open about almost everything Alice talks about. Alice has very little memory of her mother, often confusing her with her aunt, and seems to bear a striking physical resemblance to her, especially her strawberry-blond hair. Other characters include Alice's two best friends, Pamela and Elizabeth, her first serious boyfriend, Patrick, her next boyfriend, Sam, her prudish Aunt Sally (who frequently provides a little comic relief), Lester's many girlfriends, and of course her seventh grade Language Arts teacher, Miss Summers, whom she tries to get her father to marry (with eventual success). The Alice series broaches many topics, including relationships, dating, sex, friendship, life problems, families, God, and understanding.

Here is the full list of Alice series in order :


1. The Agony of Alice

2. Alice in Rapture, Sort of

3. Reluctantly Alice

4. All but Alice

5. Alice in April

6. Alice In-Between

7. Alice the Brave

8.Alice in Lace

9. Outrageously Alice

10. Achingly Alice

11. Alice on the Outside

12. The Grooming of Alice

13. Alice Alone

14. Simply Alice

15. Patiently Alice

16. Including Alice

17. Alice On Her Way

18. Alice in the Know

19. Dangerously Alice

20. Almost Alice




and three prequels :

1. Starting with Alice

2. Alice in Blunderland

3. Lovingly Alice


(I know, such a long list)



I cant wait for the latest one out on June 2nd (a day after my birthday! *grins*) which is Intensely Alice. This book would be based on the summer before Alice starts 12th Grade. I can barely put myself together to find out what Alice is up to now.

To find out more on this fabulous series, click here

TIQA