Naylor, Phyllis Reynolds

Almost Alice

Is it possible to be too good a friend -- too understanding, too always there, too much like a doormat? Alice has always been a good friend to Pamela and Liz, a best friend to Pamela and Liz. But she's starting to wonder where that leaves her: What am I? An ear for listening? An arm around the shoulder? And then there's Patrick -- after ending their relationship two years ago, he's suddenly calling again, and wants to take her to his senior prom. What does that mean? As Alice tries to figure out who she is in relation to her friends, she learns one thing -- sometimes friends need you more than they let on...especially when the unthinkable happens.

Always honest, brave, and true, the Alice series never flinches from big issues, and never discounts the small ones.

Jade Green : A Ghost Story

"Then at the end of the street, the house--the large brown house with the two eyes--made me suddenly clutch at the driver's arm as if to say, Turn back! Turn back!" At the first sight of her uncle's house--her future home--an inexplicable cloud of foreboding engulfs orphaned teen Judith Sparrow. Unfortunately, her fears are confirmed when she hears a mysterious scratching at the back of her closet and senses a ghostly presence hovering over her at night. Even more chilling, Judith learns of the death of a girl named Jade Green from the town gossip--a girl who lived in her uncle's house before Judith and died a horrible death on the attic stairs. As it turns out, Jade dearly loved the color that was her name. Suddenly, Judith knows the reason she was forbidden by her uncle to bring anything green into the house. She fears that by smuggling in a small green picture frame, she has roused the sleeping ghost of Jade Green and assured the doom of all who sleep under her uncle's roof!

Phyllis Reynolds Naylor, best known for her humorous Alice series and the award-winning Shiloh, has dished up a fine gothic tale with all the trimmings: a brave, orphaned heroine; a dark and dreary manor; a hunky savior; a dastardly villain; and the star of the cast--a ghostly severed hand that holds the secret to Jade Green's untimely demise. This novel is a shivery delight that is ideal for both reading under the covers and sharing aloud with a group of enthralled listeners. Heartily recommended. (Ages 12 to 15) --Jennifer Hubert

Orphaned fifteen-year-old Judith Sparrow brings two secrets to her uncle's house in South Carolina: one, that her grief-stricken mother died in a madhouse, the other that she has disobeyed the only condition to living in her uncle's home -- nothing green is allowed in the house.

Judith can't bear to part with the photograph of her mother in its lovely green silk frame. Surely this one small defiance will not jeopardize the happiness she finds in South Carolina -- with a family at last, and new friends, especially Zeke Carey, the miller's son.

But Uncle Geoffrey's house holds a secret of its own. And Judith's small picture frame, hidden away at the bottom of her trunk, unleashes a powerful force that seems determined to bring that secret into the open. Or is Judith simply following her mother down the path toward madness?

Alice on Her Way (Alice)

It's the moment Alice has been looking forward to for years -- her sixteenth birthday is coming up, and that means getting her driver's licence, with the freedom that entails. And before that important milestone, there's another delicious taste of freedom awaiting Alice and her friends -- a class trip to New York City, promising some serious partying once chaperones have gone to bed.

But sophomore year and driving lessons are a lot harder than Alice thought they would be, and then there's the problem with her new boyfriend, who is sometimes too attached to her. The older Alice gets, the more complicated her life seems to become.

Alice in the Know (Alice)

It's the summer before junior year, and Alice is looking forward to three months of excitement, passion, and drama. But what does she find? A summer working in a local department store, trying to stop shoplifters, and more "real life" problems than she could have ever imagined: A good friend becomes seriously ill, Lester has more romance problems than even Alice knows what to do with, and the gang from Mark Stedmeister's pool is starting to grow up a bit faster than Alice is comfortable with.... Fortunately for Alice her family and friends are with her through it all, and by the end of the summer, Alice finds she knows a whole lot more than she had in June.

Funny, touching, and always provocative, Phyllis Reynolds Naylor does it again, proving with this twenty-first book in the beloved Alice series that she understands what real girls think and feel.

Alice In-Between (Alice)

Finally, Alice is thirteen. But being a teenager isn't always as fantastic as Alice dreamed it would be. A sophisticated night on the town with her brother, Lester, and an overnight train trip to Chicago with Elizabeth and Pamela are exciting, but they also give her a first-hand look at some of the perils of grown-up life.

The problem is, Alice doesn't really feel like a grown-up. But she doesn't feel like a kid anymore, either. She feels in-between -- and that's a pretty confusing place to be!

All but Alice

There are, Alice decides, 272 horrible things left to happen to her in her life, based on the number of really horrible things that have happened already. She figures that out after the disaster of the talent show. And she realizes that there is no way to fend them off.

But, she reasons, if you don't have a mother, maybe a sister would help. Maybe lots of sisters, a worldwide sisterhood. Be like everyone else, do what others do, and best of all, be part of the "in" group. Then you have sympathy and protection.

It is with this in mind that Alice joins the All-Stars Fan Club and the earring club and becomes one of the Famous Eight. It helps, even when it's a bit boring. On the whole, Alice thinks, she is enjoying seventh grade more than she had ever expected.

Yet Sisterhood, even Famous Eighthood, does not take care of all of her problems or answer all of her questions about life and love. Can she be Sisters with all three girls who want to be her brother Lester's girlfriends? How does she treat the fact that her father is dating her teacher, Miss Summers? How do you accept a box of valentine candy from a boy? In fact, how do boys fit into Universal Sisterhood -- or is there a Universal Humanhood? How far do you go when being part of the crowd means doing something you don't want to do?

As in the earlier Alice books, Alice copes with life in her own way, and her answers to her endless problems are often funny and surprisingly right.

The Grooming of Alice

The summer between eighth and ninth grade is looming for Alice and her friends. "It's going to be one of the most exciting summers of our lives.... All the stupid things we've ever done will be behind us, and all the wonderful stuff will be waiting to happen." First things first. The girls decide it's time to get in shape. Elizabeth tells Alice her waist is a little thick and her legs are too straight. With friends like these...

They embark on a summer of discovery, with jobs, a sex-education seminar, and flirtation with an eating disorder. As Alice tests the waters of adolescence, her relationships with her father, brother, and friends are challenged. When her friend Pamela runs away from home--to Alice's house--Alice must decide where her loyalties and ethics lie. And when her father goes off to Europe, will the temptation of entertaining her boyfriend in the privacy of her home override her father's trust?

Practical, lively Alice has appeared in many of Phyllis Reynolds Naylor's other popular novels: Alice in Rapture, Sort Of, Alice on the Outside, and more. Her down-to-earth charm and quintessential adolescent ways will win her friends on and off the pages of the Alice series. From start to finish, readers will identify with Alice's hilarious, poignant, energetic exploits and be moved by Alice's growing maturity.

Serious issues--body image, death, sex--are balanced delightfully with more lighthearted teens-in-summer issues--makeup, grounding, first tampon use. By September, the girls have definitely had an exciting summer, but not necessarily in the way they had anticipated! (Ages 10 to 14) --Emilie Coulter

The Most Exciting Summer of Their Lives

That's what Pamela says about the summer before ninth grade, and she, Alice, and Elizabeth are determined to make the most of it. All three girls are getting into shape for the new school year by jogging three miles a day and cutting down on junk food, and Alice is enjoying her volunteer job at the local hospital.

But things keep happening that Alice hadn't counted on. Her satisfaction with her job is marred by an unexpected sorrow. Her attempt to be a loyal friend to Pamela gets her in trouble with her father and brother, big time. And both she and Pamela are afraid that Elizabeth may be taking her efforts to lose weight too seriously. Could the most exciting summer of their lives be a little too exciting?

Simply Alice

We're starting to notice a pattern. In Alice Alone, ninth grader Alice gradually becomes too busy to see much of her boyfriend. Now, in Phyllis Reynolds Naylor's next installment in the Alice series, Alice and Patrick have broken up, and our heroine decides to throw herself into new activities to drown her sorrows. And suddenly, best friends Elizabeth and Pamela are starting to feel the dearth of Alice, too. After all the girls have been through together (The Grooming of Alice, Alice on the Outside, etc.), can they maneuver this latest bump on the road through adolescence?

Starting out with the most embarrassing high-school situation imaginable (no, really!), and wending its way through various family crises and side plots, Simply Alice reveals a newly single, steadily stronger heroine experiencing all the bittersweet turmoil of high school. But will she be single forever? Don't count on it. Romance lurks, as Alice fields e-mails from a secret admirer. Friends of Alice, old and new, will be simply delighted. (Ages 12 to 15) --Emilie Coulter

Life After Patrick

It isn't Alice and Patrick anymore; it's simply Alice, and much to her surprise, Alice is finding that's okay. In fact, working on the school play and becoming increasingly involved in the newspaper have Alice so busy she doesn't have much time for her best friends Pamela and Elizabeth -- and they resent it.

And if Alice ever needed friends, she needs them now. She's got a secret e-mail admirer she's not sure how to handle. Her brother, Lester, is plunging headlong into a risky romance with a professor. And her new friend, Faith, seems unable to break free of an abusive relationship with her boyfriend. It's not simple being simply Alice.

Alice Alone

The first day of ninth grade is looming, and Alice is anxious. "When I think of all the embarrassing things I'll probably do, all the humiliating stuff just waiting to happen..." she laments to her big brother Lester. Luckily, Alice has the undying love of her perfect boyfriend, Patrick--or does she? There's a perky new girl in town, and Patrick doesn't seem to mind her attentions at all. Plus, with all the activities of high school, such as reporting on the newspaper, homework, friends--not to mention Alice's weekend job, her concerns over her father's love life, and her friend Elizabeth's shocking revelation--Alice may not be spending as much time as she'd like with her beau.

In the thirteenth title of her popular Alice series (The Grooming of Alice, Alice on the Outside, and Alice in April, etc.), Phyllis Reynolds Naylor deals sensitively and humorously with the painful blow just about every teenager receives sooner or later: the first heartbreak. Multiple side stories thicken the plot, as when kindhearted but misguided Alice invites three female ex-cons to Thanksgiving dinner... and neglects to tell her dad and brother. Alice is, as always, funny, strong, and yet vulnerable; adolescent readers will definitely relate to her as her self-confidence rises and falls with every passing day. (Ages 12 to 15) --Emilie Coulter

Alice is starting high school, and everything is new. But it's the new girl, Penny, who's making ninth grade a real challenge for Alice. Penny is tiny and perky and a real flirt, and she seems to be focusing her attention Patrick. Even worse, Patrick seems to be enjoying it.

Alice and Patrick have been a couple so long Alice can't imagine life without him. Suddenly she feels lost and unattractive and scared -- not quite whole. How can Alice get back her confidence in herself, when she's not even sure who she is?

Dangerously Alice

Alice has always tried to be a decent person. She gets good grades, comes home on time, and has never really given her dad and her stepmom any reason to worry. But now that junior year of high school has started, Alice is a little sick of people assuming she's a goody-goody, so she decides to start shaking things up. First there are the dates with Tony, a cute senior who's a lot more experienced than Alice. Then the fights with her stepmom about the new cat, the car, and everything else start. But when Alice sneaks off to a party that her parents don't know about and a near-tragedy follows, she starts to realize every choice has a consequence, and danger rarely leads to good ones.

Funny, realistic, and always provocative, Phyllis Reynolds Naylor does it again, proving that she understands what real girls think and feel, with this twenty-second book in the beloved Alice series.