Your Questions Answered

Why Do You write about Sperms and Sex?

Phyllis replied:

I’m not sure which Alice book you are referring to, but you mention the early Alice books, so I’m guessing it was “Lovingly Alice,” in which Alice is in 5th grade, and she and her girlfriends are discussing menstruation and sex at a sleepover.  The suggested age group for this book is 9-12.  I’m sorry if you feel that your ten year-old daughter should not be reading about such things, but I’m afraid I disagree with you.  Girls are menstruating at an earlier age and we also read about girls who are still children themselves becoming pregnant.  I and my publisher believe that girls should have information about sex and pregnancy, not be kept ignorant of them.  If you don’t want your daughter to read books that your library has approved, then you should read the books ahead of time.  But I do think you might form a good relationship with your daughter by reading these books together and discussing the things that she doesn’t understand.

Rehoboth Beach

Question:

My name is Emily and my grandfather grew up in Rehoboth Beach,DE. I was reading
one of your stories and I came across it and I was wondering why you put
Rehoboth Beach in your book? We go there every year and I could tell that you
knew where everything was like the road before you get to the bridge, 
bookstores and arcade. I also really enjoyed the books and look forward to
reading some more!

Phyllis replied:

Our family with sons and grandchildren have vacationed there many times.

Another series?

Question:

i was wondering if you were going to make another series like Alice, after you finish with Alice series?

Phyllis replied:

No, I’m not about to start another series that takes 28 years to write!    But I’m glad you like the Alice books so much.

i was wondering if you were going to make another series like Alice, after you finish with Alice series? I abseloutly cannot unglue my eyes from each book, its too hard! I really love the Alice series. Sorry if this email is kind of bad, or childish. Im in 8th grade, and i know how to write emails and letters, but my parents are asleep and so i dont have there help or revision, and i was pretty sure that if i did not send it tonight i would get side tracked the next day and forget. I was also wondering, if in one of the last 2 books for Alice, if you could include a tornado in one of them. That would keep me on the edge of my chair in advisory, or whenever im reading the book. I know that pretty much the whole east coast gets them including maryland. I want to know how alice and her family and friends would handle that and how that situation in the book would go down. Your a spectacular author!

Phyllis replied:

Sorry, but there’s no tornado in Alice’s life.  She has enough to deal with as it is, and the last book is already written.  There are a zillion things that could have happened to Alice, and readers often send suggestions.  But events need to have something to do with the basic plot, so I have to be very selective.  It’s wonderful to hear that you enjoy the books so much.

From a Mom

Email from Germany

Question:

First of all: Thank you so much for writing these amazing alice books! I´m such a huge fan and i will always consider alice as one of my closest friends.
I´m from Germany and my aunt gave me my first alice book for my 10th birthday. It´s called “Peinlich, peinlich Alice” and i loved it so much that my mum had to buy
all the others that were published in germany by then in one month because i wouldn´t stop reading.
Because i was reading so fast, alice “grew up” faster than i did but then publishing of your alice books stopped in Germany and i was sad beyond believe.
It was harder than breaking up with my first boyfreind because i felt so close to Alice. But then my mom found out that there are other books dealing with Alice so we started buying
them in english and by the time i was ready to read them, my mom gave me the alice books so that her age would fit mine and now i´m eighteen and so is Alice, at least almost.
I just love her so much and i´ve read all the books like a hundred times an dso did my mom. When we´re having dinner we often end up laughing about her because i acted like she would have or because one of us remembered something funny lester said (by the way lester´s most hilarious moment was  when Alice discovered that mister sorringer was going to come to the wedding and she was going bananas and asked lester what they should do and lester told her that he was going to buy himself a magnum and shoot him between the eyes. I was laughing so hard i couldn´t stop for 2 hours). I feel just so close to her and she (you) really helped me growing up and helped me to accept and respect myself for who i am.
I hope you and your family and the people that are the most important to you are doing good. Lots of greetings and love from germany and when you get to work on alice for the next time, greet her and tell her that she´s great!

Phyllis replied:

I enjoyed your email so much.  What a nice Mom you have, to buy the series and give them to you when you reach the right age.  I’ve heard from a fewreaders that the German translations leave out quite a lot in some of the books.  I think this is true of some other translations too, but I have no control over that.  All the Alice books have been written now.  I turned in the manuscript for #28 at the same time I turned in #27, but I don’t think the editor has read it yet.  I may just like that last book best of all because it ties up so many loose ends, and lets you know what happened to each of the main characters.  I hope you’ll like it too when it comes out in 2013.

Alice

Question:

What really makes Alice Alice?

Phyllis replied:

Hmmm.   This sounds like a homework assignment to me–“What makes a character real?”   The answer lies with each reader.  Whatever makes Alice seem real to you; I can’t answer for you.

Dating Two girls at Once

Question:

Hi Phyllis! I am currently reading, ‘I Like Him, He Likes Her’ the Alice three pack. I was wondering, what made you what to make Alice and Patrick break up over Penny? I understand that he likes her, but that’s okay as long as he isn’t dating her and Alice at the same time. And, why did Patrick want to date two girls at once?
Phyllis replied:

Not everybody wants to be a couple right off.   And I think that boys who are new at dating might not want to commit themselves to dating just one girl if another seems appealing.  Girls usually feel differently about this, and because Alice and Patrick were considered a couple before, this is especially hard for Alice to accept.

Banned Books Lists

Question:

I was very shocked to find the Alice series on a banned books list. I was an avid Alice reader for several years in my pre-teens and early teens and I accredit her and you, obviously, for fostering my love of reading, which helped make my decision to pursue an English major. Also, I attended a very small rural school and didn’t find anyone like me until college, so Alice was my good friend during my formative years and many of her fears and concerns mirrored my own. I know you hear this very often. But really, I was shocked that anyone ever was able to point to one of the Alice books and identify something they didn’t like. Am I naive about the human capacity to misunderstand and be over-protective? I remember Alice as completely wholesome, but perhaps I might be surprised if I went back to reread them?

Phyllis replied:

I think that some people feel that a book is offensive if, writing about questionable conduct, the author doesn’t make clear that she disapproves of it, rather than letting the characters wrestle with the actions themselves and weigh and pros and cons.  Many feel that literature for young people must be of the inspirational nature, emphasizing only what they consider to be the right conduct.  My view is different, in that I see fiction plots as journeys in which the main character is experiencing life and dealing with it, sometimes making mistakes, sometimes being noble.   The fact that Alice and her friends think about sex sometimes and talk about it, and that they use expressions such as “Oh my God!” seem very offensive to some people, and nevermind what people do in real life.  I’m happy to know that reading the Alice books was a positive experience for you.  Thanks so much for writing.

He’s married with children

Phyllis replied:

It’s difficult sometimes to keep that line between just enjoying the male/female banter and flirting.  The easiest most honest thing would be to just tell him you don’t go out with married guys, but I can imagine him telling you that they haven’t had a good marriage, or they’re separated, or divorced.   I think I would tell him that if he were your age and definitely single, you’d be tempted, but “Let’s just keep it friends, because I really do enjoy working with you,” or something to that effect.  And then keep to it.