Synopsis
"The Summer of the First Boyfriend," Alice's father calls it. It is also the summer between grade school and junior high. Alice's friends keep telling her what she has to do to be a successful seventh grader. She may need a leather skirt. (Alice knows she'll never have one.) And certainly she'll need that boyfriend. In fact, one of Alice's friends has heard that a girl will never have any kind of social life in high school if she doesn't have a boyfriend when she enters junior high. That makes Alice very glad she has Patrick. And glad when her friends Elizabeth and Pamela have boyfriends, too. It is going to be a good summer, she thinks.And, in this sequel to The Agony of Alice, it is a good summer. There are ball games in the park, bike riding, sitting on the front porch with Patrick and talking -- and sometimes eating chocolates -- and sometimes kissing. But there are problems, too. How do you make yourself beautiful when you are not? How do you cope with an older brother who has no tact and no understanding of your problems? And most of all, how do you act with a boyfriend? Some of the things she hears make Alice think she needs a manual of instructions.Through triumphs and disasters at the beach, through the trauma of dinner at the country club with Patrick, through moments of terrible embarrassment and discouraging attempts to sort out what having a boyfriend is all about, and through surprising thoughts and decisions, Alice persists in being Alice, a girl who wants to be like other people but who can't stop being herself. Her problems are fun and funny, and readers will find a lot of themselves and their own problems in Alice and her friends.
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About the Author
Phyllis Reynolds Naylor PHYLLIS REYNOLDS NAYLOR, who lives in Bethesda, Maryland, with her husband, Rex, says that she has been through many of the agonies and raptures that Alice McKinley experiences in this book and is glad that she doesn't have to go through them again. She is the mother of two grown sons, Jeff and Michael, the caretaker of two cats, Ulysses and Marco, and when she is not writing, which is most of the time-enjoys hiking, swimming, and the theater. She is the author of over sixty books, including The Agony of Alice, Night Cry, The Bodies in the Bessledorf Hotel, Beetles, Lightly Toasted, Maudie in the Middle, and One of the Third Grade Thonkers.
Reviews
Grade 5-8-- Alice, from The Agony of Alice (Atheneum, 1985), gives a repeat performance that is every bit an equal to her first. Alice is in love, and her romance with Peter provides some awkward yet funny moments as she tries to sort out the ins and outs of dating and first boyfriends. For Alice, the course of true love does not run smoothly, for she is experiencing all of the anxieties of pre-adolescence. All the while, she longs for a mother to answer her questions about kissing and the unwritten rules about dating because her understanding, loving father simply can't help with some of the things that a girl needs to know. In the satisfying conclusion, Alice realizes that she had enjoyed Peter more when there was less pressure on the relationship, and the two become once again "just friends." Naylor's dialogue crackles with reality and humor, and the situations in which Alice finds herself are appropriate to the age, yet truly original. A book that is wise, perceptive, and hilarious.
- Trev Jones, "School Library Journal"
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Returning to the setting of The Agony of Alice , Naylor gives readers a wry and poignant depiction of what Alice's father calls "The Summer of the First Boyfriend." Having lost her mother early in life, Alice must rely on her friends Pamela and Elizabeth, and her Aunt Sally for advice on the rules of dating. But Pamela and Elizabeth are as confused as Alice, and her aunt is just plain behind the times. Alice and boyfriend Patrick endearingly muddle their way through the summer, which includes their first kiss and first argument, a weekend at the beach and a very special dinner at the club. And Alice begins to form her own, maturing opinions; her decision about her relationship with Patrick seems both natural and true. At the end of the summer Alice has become a very special person, and readers will have followed her escapades with eagerness and empathy. Ages 8-12.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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Other Popular Editions of the Same Title
Search results for Alice in Rapture, Sort Of
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Alice in Rapture, Sort Of
Seller: Dream Books Co., Denver, CO, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Condition: acceptable. This copy has clearly been enjoyedâ"expect noticeable shelf wear and some minor creases to the cover. Binding is strong, and all pages are legible. May contain previous library markings or stamps. Seller Inventory # DBV.0689314663.A
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Alice in Rapture, Sort Of
Published by
Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing, 1989
ISBN 10: 0689314663
ISBN 13: 9780689314667
Used
Hardcover
First Edition
Seller: Better World Books, Mishawaka, IN, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Condition: Good. 1st ed. Pages intact with minimal writing/highlighting. The binding may be loose and creased. Dust jackets/supplements are not included. Stock photo provided. Product includes identifying sticker. Better World Books: Buy Books. Do Good. Seller Inventory # 51057729-6
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Alice in Rapture, Sort Of
Published by
Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing, 1989
ISBN 10: 0689314663
ISBN 13: 9780689314667
Used
Hardcover
First Edition
Seller: Better World Books, Mishawaka, IN, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Condition: Good. 1st ed. Former library copy. Pages intact with minimal writing/highlighting. The binding may be loose and creased. Dust jackets/supplements are not included. Includes library markings. Stock photo provided. Product includes identifying sticker. Better World Books: Buy Books. Do Good. Seller Inventory # GRP101811182
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Alice in Rapture, Sort Of
Seller: ThriftBooks-Atlanta, AUSTELL, GA, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Hardcover. Condition: Very Good. No Jacket. May have limited writing in cover pages. Pages are unmarked. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less. Seller Inventory # G0689314663I4N00
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Alice in Rapture, Sort Of
Seller: ThriftBooks-Dallas, Dallas, TX, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Hardcover. Condition: Very Good. No Jacket. Former library book; May have limited writing in cover pages. Pages are unmarked. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less. Seller Inventory # G0689314663I4N10
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Alice in Rapture, Sort Of
Seller: ThriftBooks-Atlanta, AUSTELL, GA, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Hardcover. Condition: Very Good. No Jacket. Former library book; May have limited writing in cover pages. Pages are unmarked. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less. Seller Inventory # G0689314663I4N10
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Alice in Rapture, Sort Of
Seller: Alicesrestraunt, O Fallon, MO, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Hardcover. Condition: Very Good. "The Summer of the First Boyfriend," Alice's father calls it. It is also the summer between grade school and junior high. Alice's friends keep telling her what she has to do to be a successful seventh grader. She may need a leather skirt. (Alice knows she'll never have one.) And certainly she'll need that boyfriend. In fact, one of Alice's friends has heard that a girl will never have any kind of social life in high school if she doesn't have a boyfriend when she enters junior high. That makes Alice very glad she has Patrick. And glad when her friends Elizabeth and Pamela have boyfriends, too. It is going to be a good summer, she thinks. Condition: Former Library Book. Boards are in good condition with slight shelf wear, binding is tight and pages are clean (with the exception of library markings in front/back). Seller Inventory # ABE-1702944295514
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Alice in Rapture, Sort Of
Seller: SHIMEDIA, Brooklyn, NY, U.S.A.
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Condition: New. Satisfaction Guaranteed or your money back. Seller Inventory # 0689314663
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Alice in Rapture, Sort Of
Seller: BennettBooksLtd, Los Angeles, CA, U.S.A.
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hardcover. Condition: New. In shrink wrap. Looks like an interesting title! Seller Inventory # Q-0689314663