Reluctantly Alice - Hardcover

Naylor, Phyllis Reynolds

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 068931681X ISBN 13: 9780689316814

Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 1991

Synopsis

After her first day in junior high, Alice McKinley says, "I can think of at least seven things about seventh grade that stink." But after a week, Alice has decided that maybe junior high isn't so bad. In fact, maybe she can go a whole year being friends with everyone, teachers and students alike. This is before she has her first run-in with Denise "Mack-Truck" Whitlock.

Alice, who has survived sixth grade and The Summer of the First Boyfriend, soon discovers that it isn't so easy to be Alice the Likeable. Even her best friends get in the way sometimes. And just when she is sure no one has more problems than she does, she is drawn into the ones her twenty-year-old brother and her widowed father are facing, which seem worse. Thinking a favorite teacher may hold the answer to at least one difficulty, Alice ends up with a bigger mess than ever.

She realizes, however, that it is possible to overcome disaster and to find a way out of troubles. Most of all, she discovers, it's good to have a father and a brother who love you and look out for you. In fact, sometimes, having family is almost enough.

About this title

About the Author

Phyllis Reynolds Naylor has written more than 135 books, including the Newbery Award–winning Shiloh. She lives in Gaithersburg, Maryland. To hear from Phyllis and find out more about what’s in store for Alice, visit AliceMcKinley.com.

Reviews

Grade 5-8-- It's the first day of seventh grade, and Alice can't think of anything good about it except she gets out at 2:30 instead of 3:00. She feels weird, thinks she looks weird, and is not used to being at the bottom rung of the ladder. Then, with her usual style and verve, she decides that things have to get better, and plans to spend the year being Alice the Likable. This is before her run-in with Denise "Mack-Truck" Whitlock, however--and before she discovers the problems her widowed father and 20-year old brother, Lester, are having with the women in their lives. Young adolescents will recognize themselves in Alice and will laugh, cry, and cheer her on as she finds all things are possible. Alice and her surrounding cast of characters are realistic and full of vitality. With cheerful, upbeat writing and positive emphasis, this third book about Alice is sure to be as popular as the previous two. Readers will be reluctant to see it end. --Pamela K. Bomboy, Chesterfield County Public Schools, VA
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Likeable Alice McKinley is back in this honest and funny portrayal of the ups and downs of seventh grade. Having survived her "summer of the first boyfriend," Alice is determined to start off the school year as everyone's friend. But in the first week she discovers seven things that "stink" about seventh grade, and it takes her quite some time to come up with seven good things. Just as the beleaguered heroine seems to be coping well with her various crises she has a run-in with Denise "Mack-Truck" Whitlaw. Meanwhile her domestic problems--concerning her brother's and father's romances--are escalating. Alice is able to resolve her differences with Denise (in typical Alice fashion), but when she attempts to take on the family dilemmas the results are comic and chaotic. Alice's fans will not be disappointed in her latest misadventures, and the news that Naylor intends to take Alice through to her graduation is certainly welcome. Ages 8-12.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Edition details

• Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers
• Publication date: 1991
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 068931681X
• ISBN 13: 9780689316814
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 192