Your Questions Answered

Can’t wait to see where Alice goes next….

Question:
I can not begin to tell you what the Alice books have meant to me. As a painfully shy sixth grade girl, who always found more comfort and familiarity in the literary world then in the real one, Alice was my best friend. Upon starting sixth grade, my aunt gave me The Agony of Alice. I felt like Alice McKinley was my best friend – she definitely “got” what being a preteen was like (of course, my aunt’s initial reason for picking the book up, other then the character’s age, was that I share your name of Phyllis). When I completed sixth grade – she got me the next book in the series. I felt like Alice and I were pen pals, and for a time in my diary I actually addressed my entries to her, imagining mailing them to this fictitious girl in Maryland. And so it went – for season of middle school, I had a visit with Alice and was looking forward to spending high school with her, but by that time I had gotten older then she was – we ended eighth grade together, but ninth grade would have to wait. I grew up, finished high school and college, and Alice is just now finishing high school, but I’ve been delighted to see Alice back on the shelves at my bookstore – what better place for a bookworm and teacher unable to find a job then the children’s section of Barnes and Nobles, sharing Alice (and some of my other childhood favorites)

I just wanted to say thank you for sharing Alice with me, and for helping my survive the treacherous halls of middle school. As bittersweet as reading Incredibly Alice was for me, I can’t wait to see where she goes next – and I can’t wait until I have children old enough to share Alice with.

Phyllis replied:

Thanks so much for your email.  I find Alice fans incredibly loyal–many of you have followed Alice and her friends for years and years.  I know you will interested in the very last book, coming out in 2013, “Always  Alice.”

From a 38 year-old fan

Question:

Thank you for these books. I've been reading them since the series first
started. 🙂 I'm a little sad that the series is ending soon, but with
books you can always reread and of course there is no waiting to see
what happens next when you have them all right there.

Thanks for many happy years of reading.

Phyllis replied:

You're welcome!  And thanks for writing!

A Few Tips?

Just finished “Incredibly Alice”

Sad the Series is ending

I have been reading Alice books since 3rd grade. I am now 13 years 
old and I have read every Alice book several times.
I know you get  tons of letters from your fans about how much they 
love your books but as I’ve been reading both
your books and your website for a while I figured it was time to let 
you know how much I Iove them.
I live in Arlington Virginia so I can relate to Alice’s environment 
as I live close to where she does in the books.
I have actually hiked Sugarloaf mountain so it was funny when Alice 
went there. I feel like Alice is a very relatable character,
  and even though we don’t have that much in common she seems like a 
real girl. When she was in younger grades she was
  so focused on embarrassment and I would feel better about my own 
embarrassing moments when I was reminded by your
books that everyone has them.
You write from Alice’s perspective about a lot of things that people 
don’t normally talk about and for me, that is one of the
best things about the Alice series. I know what the people on your 
website mean when they say they feel like Alice is a
real person. You have really captured the essence of what it’s like to 
be a girl growing up and I think Alice will never grow
outdated. I just finished Incredibly Alice-as soon as my copy arrived 
I immidiatly started reading and didn’t stop  until I finished
the book. Also I really enjoy the advice you post to people on your 
website.
I just wanted to say thank you so much for writing a series I will 
continue to read over and over, and Alice does really
feel like my friend. I am so sad that the series is ending soon, but I 
will most definitly have all the books to reread. You are an
  amazing author!

Phyllis replied:

I’m sad the series is ending too, but the very last book has so much in it about Alice’s life, that I think you will be quite satisfied after you read it.   I know that I’ve taken a chance writing about things other people don’t talk about, and sometimes my editors have questioned my judgment.  But each time I ask myself, is this something I would have wanted to know when I was that age?  or Were any of my friends ever worried about this topic?  Often I write about something that readers have confided to me, because I believe that if one person is worried about something in particular, it probably means others are also.  Thank you for writing to me.

Fun Watching Alice Change and Grow

Something that relates completely to me

Question:

Hey ms naylor I know you asked for people to wait a while before emailing you but I don’t want to forget. I am really happy to read the Alice story where Alice and Tony got together. It was nice to read something that related almost completely to me. (as in hanging out with a guy I didn’t want anything serious with and making mistakes more than alice but still) usually when I come across a story like that the girl gets taken advantaged of and I hate reading that kind of stuff. I loved how it shows that not all guys will force a girl to do everything if they start and she wants to stop. Thank you so much for making that so realistic.

Phyllis replied:

I try to make the Alice books as realistic as possible, but it still depends on the reader.  Since everyone’s experience is unique–and often very different from others–Alice’s life may be more realistic to some than to others.  I’m happy to know that you relate so well to her.

Books in order

  Question: 

 I’d like to start out by saying I adore your Alice books. I feel like I can
relate to her in so many ways. Though I have a quick question about the order of
the books in the series. I recently finished ‘Please Don’t Be True’ (which I
loved!) I was happy to go to Barnes & Noble and realize that ‘Incredibly Alice’
had been released. But I noticed on the back of it, it says the book after
‘Please Don’t Be True’ is ‘Alice In Charge’, which doesn’t appear to be
realeased yet. I’m a bit confused now about the order. Which book comes after
‘Please Don’t Be True’? I really appreciate your clarification on this. Thank
you so much!
           A dedicated Alice reader,
 

Phyllis replied:

It can be confusing, because those large paperback books that each contain 3 Alice books (one for her freshman year, one for sophomore, junior, etc.) are compilations of already published books.  “Alice in Charge” is only one separate book, not to be confused with these large “bind-ups.”  For the right order in which to read the separate books, not the bind-ups, go to the Alice website and click on “Books in order” at the top of the page.

When Do the Books Take Place?

Question:

I finished reading incredibly Alice 3 hours after i got in from amazon a few
weeks ago and like all Alice books it did not disappoint.  I just have a few
comments.
I really liked how you included the part when the students were protesting about
banned books because I know the Alice books are often censored. I was reading
pages online about the Alice books, mostly mothers complaining about lovingly
Alice and I have to say they must have memory loss if they forgot wondering
those things at that age! I am reading Alice with my sister and debating wether
she  should read lovingly Alice, because we just finished the fourth grade one.
Even at nine, she sometimes asks me questions about sex and I’m not sure how to
answer. Reading this book could help her understand but I should probably wait a
little longer just in case she tells my mom because she won’t discuss it with
her.
Back to the book, i was wondering what it meant when Alice said “well if they
haven’t by now, it’s time they did” loudly to the boys in the other room. How is
that risqué? Maybe I just don’t see the joke but I thought a while over it and
still couldn’t figure it out.

I was hoping for alice’s last summer to be a lot more like in the past, the
whole sit around by marks pool kind of feel (I know he’s dead but that’s how
I’ve always pictured the gang) and for them to do the things they used to do
like walk around and get ice cream and go to the elementary school.  that was
her summer before jr high, but if it’s her last summer home I wanted patrick to
at least be their. Working on a cruise ship would be fun, but it just doesn’t
sound like the Alice books I know. Well it’s already written anyway, and I’m
sure it’s great. I just hope you have a lot of “last times” in silver spring
with the gang put in.

Random question: what time period do these books take place? Its like she has
records then 4 years later an iPod! she grows up 1/3 slower, so Does each book
take place based on when it was written?
Lastly, why did you decide to extend the books beyond alice being 18 like you
origionally planned? Is the ending the same as you pictured so many years ago?

I know I have so many questions but I hope you could answer a few. Thanks for
all you do for your loyal readers! <3

Phyllis replied:

You have a lot of questions, so I’ll have to give short answers:

1) If your sister is already asking the types of questions that Lovingly Alice answers, then I’d read and discuss the book with her.  If not, wait until she’s genuinely curious about the answers.

2) Alice is trying to sound sexy by letting “it” imply whatever the boys’ imaginations might offer.

3) The books supposedly take place in whatever year I wrote them.

4) Remember that Alice is growing up, and that means change.  You aren’t doing the same things over the summer that you did four years ago, are you?  I decided to extend the very last Alice book to age 60, because so many readers want to see the gang open the time capsule.  I think you will like this very last book.  It might possibly be my favorite.

Will Pass Them Down to My Daughter

Question:

I have been reading the Alice books (starting with Agony of Alice) since I was a awkward 7th grader, I am now 23 and still find the Alice books such a great comfort. One of my oldest Alice books is a copy of Alice-in Between with yellowed pages and the cover falling off and believe it or not I still pick it up from time to time. I just wanted to thank you so much for writing these books I think they have something every girl can relate to, if I ever have a daughter I will pass these books down to her- that’s how much they mean to me. I can’t wait until 2013 when the last book comes out, it will be very bittersweet to see it end. I have no questions for you but just a simple thank you for writing the books that have grown up with me :).

Phyllis replied:

You’ve made my day.  Thanks so much for your email!