Your Questions Answered

Books for free?

Question:

i really love your alice series. it is my favorite series in the world. but i also read lots of other books. one series which i really like is the babysitters club. theres a problem though. i never find the books i want though so i try to read them online. do u no anyway that i could read any book the whole book on the computer for free?

Phyllis replied:

I’m sorry, but if people could go to the computer and read books for free, I’d be out of business and so would my publisher. Thank goodness we have libraries! If there’s a particular book you want and your library doesn’t have it, ask them to order it for you on inter-library loan. It may take a while, but good librarians will do this for their readers.

Posted on: November 13, 2009

Great ideas

Question:

I am a big fan of the Alice books! They have inspiered me and coutiont me about a lot of life’s events. Ecpecaly the death of ——. I cant wait for your next book. Please, you cannot stop writing! And the next book, I know will be great to read ecpecailly considering the fact that Alice is now a seniour, feature editor and has a boyfreind all the way in Chicago. I have a lot of great idea’s and if you want to hear some of them you can e-mail me back.

Phyllis replied:

Thank you for the offer, but I find that I have to work out my own ideas or they just don’t sound right. I’m so glad you’re enjoying these books.

Posted on: November 13, 2009

If There Was Never Any Evil

Question:

Hi Phyllis! I just finished reading your latest Alice book and I have to say, it was really really good. I love the Alice books, I wasn’t really too into “Alice in the Know” or “Dangerously Alice” (no offense at all, I still love the series anyways!) but “Almost Alice” and “Intensely Alice” were really great and made up for it =] I liked the religious discussions in “Intensely Alice”, I personally am Christian but I am always interested and open to other people’s ideas and thoughts on religion. People like Shelley sort of bother me, as a Christian nothing bothers me more than people telling others they will go to hell just because they don’t necessarily have the same beliefs. I don’t believe God would send people to hell at all – it just doesn’t seem right, because I believe that God is forgiving. But people like Mavis also bother me because they are so close-minded and not really willing to even think that there’s a possibility of a higher power. I think it was good that you put 2 extremes in there …because I go to a church where some people are really intense believers and a school with very powerful atheists. So I see both ends of the spectrum =] the thing that interested me was Lester’s question: “If there is so much evil in the world, is God evil and powerful? Or compassionate but not powerful?” My personal belief is that God gives us a choice – we can do good things, or bad things. But I always think it’s interesting to hear what other people have to say. I can relate to Alice’s feelings at the end of the book, after *that* happened (won’t spoil it for those who haven’t read!). I know this is a little different from what happened but my brother died when he was 4, and I wondered if there was really a God or not, and if there is – why would he allow such an innocent little boy to be killed? Even though I don’t think we’ll ever truly understand, I do know that if we never had any evil in this world, then we would never appreciate the good. well i’m sorry for the rant but I was just giving my imput and I want to thank you so much for the great book! And your Halloween costume looked great! =)

Phyllis replied:

Thank you for an interesting letter. I’m also interested in others’ religious beliefs, and you raised an interesting question when you said that if there was no evil in the world, we would not be able to appreciate the good. That’s something to think about. Some people say that when God gave us freedom of choice, then whether we create evil or good, we experience the consequences. And others say, when a confused angry parent throws scalding water on a crying baby to stop the crying, where is God? Why should a child experience such suffering when he didn’t commit the act? As long as man lives, there will be questions we can’t answer. Some people are content with the teachings of philosophers and religious leaders. Other people go on questioning, and are content to say, “I don’t know.” Still others fill in the gaps with their own explanations. What is helpful for one person may not be right for another, and I’m glad that you are tolerant and curious about how other people deal with life.

Posted on: November 9, 2009

Halloween

Question:

I LOVE your halloween costume. I was a pirate.

Phyllis replied:

Maybe I should be a pirate next year. Friends tell me I looked truly hideous, more so because I did it with makeup instead of a mask.

Posted on: November 9, 2009

Being Uncool

Question:

I’d like to talk to you about something. I’m fourteen and I’ve just started public school for the first time. I’m older than most all of the kids at my middle school, shy around strangers, and very self-conscious. So far I’ve yet to get up the courage to do many things—even the simple stuff, such as put up my hand in class to answer questions I know the answers to, sign up for things I think sound interesting. And also, I’ve yet to make any real friends… it’s really emotionally painful when you think about it. Going to school everyday where everyone seems to have someone to talk to in class besides you, and someone to walk around with besides you. Being “uncool”. Then there’s also the fact that the girl I thought was going to be one of my good friends just decided to ditch me yesterday to hang out with some other girls, completely ignoring me. It sucks and… yeah, just anyway advice or anything would be super comforting right now. Thanks.

Phyllis replied:

I can understand how you feel; it’s sort of like entering a new world, and everyone else knows the secret language but you. It would probably surprise you, though, to know that some of the other kids in class, who have always gone to public school, still feel like they don’t totally “belong.” I give this advice often, I know, but the best suggestion I can give you is to get up your courage to join a group or a project that you think you would like, and especially anything in which you might do well. It is so, so, SO much easier to make friends when you are with a group that shares your interests and when the attention is focused on doing something together, NOT just on being cool and making friends. Conversation is easier, eye contact is easier, laughing is easier..it’s simply much more natural to become friends when you’re working on something together than when kids are hanging around trying to think of something cool to say. Please do try to get up your courage to join something, even if you’re joining late, and get a counselor’s help to do this, if necessary.

Posted on: November 9, 2009

My parents never fought….

Question:

Let me start off with saying, I LOVE YOUR BOOKS! I feel like I am part of their world. I cried when —– was killed, I feel the emotions of Alice, when she has a crush in the book, it feels like I could like them too. When I go on your website I feel like you are the woman with all the answers. First of all, my parents never fought, last year my dad decided he wanted a divorce. Everyone was always asking how I was doing, I felt like no one asked about my brother. I guess it was because I am the youngest but now i feel like that I have gotten better, my brother doesent like my dad anymore. Is it weird for it to hurt me to see this happen to my brother and my dad.

Next, I have had a best friend since first grade. When we are together we have so much fun. Now she has new friends and I feel like I come in second. She has started doing things that will get her in trouble and I am just not into that. After she stated hanging out with older boys, she has become very experienced. Is it bad that I am 13 and havent had a boyfriend, a kiss or anything like that.

Last, there is a boy I like. I have a friend who likes him on and off. He likes her too and they had gone out about 5 months ago. He broke up with her because they are such good friends it ws weird. I dont know if they will go out again but I dont think he likes me and its hard to get to talk with him. After I figured out that i liked him, I found out I might like this other kid. He would probablynot like me, what should I do?

Thank you for wrighting the Alice books, I dont think I would survive without knowing there is someone else who thinks like me. I mean Alice has helped so many girls figure out problems, if it wasnt for her, this email would have had a lot more questions.

Phyllis replied:

It’s so hard to see problems in your family when you know you can’t fix them…aren’t really a part of some of them. No, it’s not weird to hurt when two people don’t get along. You want your family back like it was, or that you imagine it was. But your brother is hurting too, or he wouldn’t resent your dad so much for wanting to leave the marriage.

Your parents aren’t perfect, even though you want them to be, and I don’t have all the answers, even though you would like to think that. But I do know that people grieve in different ways, and anger is part of your brother’s grieving. This doesn’t mean that he will stay angry forever, and perhaps he’ll understand your dad better as he grows older. As for your friend seeming to like other girls more than you, that’s part of growing and changing too. You’ll also have friends that you’ll feel close to for a while, maybe a long while, and then feel that you aren’t liking them as much as you used to, and you’ll want to move on. No, it’s not bad that you are 13 and don’t have a boyfriend or haven’t been kissed. There are SO many other girls like you. The older you are when you do have a boyfriend and are kissed, the less awkward it will seem and the more you’ll enjoy it. And regarding the boys you may or may not like, please don’t try to label how you feel about them. Just try being friends, not boyfriend/girlfriend. You’ll like them some days and other days you won’t. You’ll like one better for a while and then he’ll do something crazy and you’ll change your mind. You have a lot of questions about life right now, and that’s your job at 13. You’ll be surprised at how often some problems just work out all by themselves.

Posted on: November 9, 2009

Still planning on writing them?

Question:

Hi! First off, let me say I am a huge (no, number one fan) or your books! I’ve been reading them since about last April when I saw them in my school library. Ever since I read the first one, I’ve been hooked! But I have a question… I read a post from you that says that you plan on writing twenty-eight Alice books, but I only see that there are about twenty-one. I just wanted to know if you were still planning on writing them? I wouldn’t know yet since I’m checking out Patiently Alice and Including Alice tomorrow at school. Just wondering since for all I know you could’ve put them in the ones I havn’t read yet. Thanks! Love you and your books!

Phyllis replied:

There are now 24 Alice books in print, the 25th is getting ready for publication next June, the 26th and 27th are yet to be written, and the 28th is written and waiting in a fireproof box in my office, to be sent in when all the others are done. Enjoy!

Posted on: November 9, 2009

Huge fan

Question:

I am a huge fan of your books! I have followed alice throught my middle school years and love them just as much now as a junior in High School. I can really relate to your characters.

Phyllis replied:

Thanks so much for telling me so!

Posted on: November 2, 2009

How to lose a Unibrow?

Question:

i need to no if theres any way for me to lose my unibrow? i dont have a really noticible one but its a unibrow all the same. i dont no how to get away if there is even a way. can u please help me mrs. naylor? uv given me good advice be4 and i hope youll have some advice for me right now.

p.s. i absoloutly love your alice series

Phyllis replied:

If you want to have it done professionally, you should go to a hair salon. I used to pluck my eyebrows with tweezers. It does hurt, and you need to be careful, but if you have a lot of eyebrow hair, you might want to have a professional do it and give you some advice.

Posted on: November 2, 2009

This is better, right?

Naylors_Phyllis & Rex Trott713_halgaut Just so you won’t worry that I’m aging prematurely, here is a picture of me and my husband before we put on our costumes.

Phyllis

Posted on: November 2, 2009