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Alice in April

In Alice in April, Aunt Sally reminds Alice that she will be turning thirteen soon (like anyone could forget such a momentous occasion) and that she will be the “woman of the house.” Alice dives into her new role by planning her father’s fiftieth birthday party — and telling everyone in the family to get a physical. But that means Alice herself will have to disrobe at the doctor’s! Then there’s the latest crisis at school, where the boys have begun to match each girl with the name of a state, according to its geography — mountains or no mountains!

Posted on: May 20, 2016

Alice In-Between

Finally, Alice is thirteen. But being a teenager isn’t always as fantastic as Alice dreamed it would be. A sophisticated night on the town with her brother, Lester, and an overnight train trip to Chicago with Elizabeth and Pamela are exciting, but they also give her a first-hand look at some of the perils of grown-up life.

The problem is, Alice doesn’t really feel like a grown-up. But she doesn’t feel like a kid anymore, either. She feels in-between — and that’s a pretty confusing place to be!

Posted on: May 20, 2016

Alice the Brave

A month before eighth grade begins, Alice realizes she is going to have to face something she’s been afraid of forever. Everybody, she knows, is afraid of something: elevators, dogs, planes, spiders . . . but her fear is worse. It’s going to bring absolute disaster to the rest of her summer, maybe to the rest of her life. The truth is she’s afraid of deep water!

It’s a hot August, and everyone in Alice’s gang goes to Mark Stedmeister’s swimming pool almost every day. Alice sits at the shallow end. She plays badminton. She makes excuses, and keeps her problem secret.

Meanwhile, Elizabeth and Pamela, Alice’s two best friends, tackle problems of their own, and are more or less successful. Life is changing for everyone but Alice.

Bravery begins in little ways, with small steps. That’s what Alice finally discovers. And after she faces this particular fear, she knows she can summon the courage to face other fears as well.

Posted on: May 20, 2016

Alice in Lace

Alice and Patrick are getting married! Well, sort of. It’s all part for her eighth grade health class. But, this is a piece of wedding cake compared to some of her friends’ assignments where they have to role play being pregnant or being caught shoplifting.

The biggest challenge of all, though, is just growing up –and this health unit is showing that it doesn’t get any easier! Who decided that life was a never ending obstacle course, anyway?

Posted on: May 20, 2016

Outrageously Alice

Now that she is settling into eighth grade, the class she used to envy, Alice Mckinley is discovering that it isn’t all that exciting. But, maybe it’s up to her to make this year as thrilling as she thought it would be? Out with the old, plain-Jane Alice in with the new, stylish, creative Alice. She’s sick of being boring.

It’s time to be outrageous! But, what if outrageous isn’t all it’s cracked up to be either? What if instead Alice finds herself in situations that are more embarrassing than they are wild and fun? Is Alice destined to be the same boring girl forever?

Posted on: May 20, 2016

Achingly Alice

Alice must choose between Patrick and Sam in this beloved series.

How can someone be in love with two people at the same time? It doesn’t make sense to Alice — until Sam, her friend from Camera Club, starts to pay attention to her. Sam is quiet, gentle, and a terrific dancer, and Alice likes being with him. But Alice has been Patrick’s girlfriend for almost two years — so why is she interested in another guy?

Posted on: May 20, 2016

Alice on the Outside

In this charming repackage from a beloved series, Alice doesn’t feel like fitting in.

Alice McKinley likes her life, but she senses things are changing. She gets a little bored by her best friends Elizabeth’s and Pamela’s obsession with clothes and makeup. She’s just not that interested. And though she is very interested in her boyfriend, Patrick, she’s not entirely sure how to keep their relationship going. Alice is struggling to figure out how she feels about things — and then how her feelings fits into what other people think she should be feeling.

Getting older is even trickier than Alice thought — is she ready for the challenge?

Posted on: May 20, 2016

The Grooming of Alice

Growing up — and slimming down — is the tricky proposition in this repackaged installment of the beloved Alice series.

The summer before ninth grade is all about getting it right — from head to toe. Alice and her friends want to start high school feeling like they always imagined a true high schooler feels: confident, capable, and pretty. But a little too much time standing in front of a mirror in their bathing suits makes Alice, Pamela, and Elizabeth feel the exact opposite of ready for high school. They have two-and-half months to transform themselves — but when Elizabeth starts taking the weight-loss plan too seriously, Alice worries that growing up (and slimming down) isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.

Posted on: May 20, 2016

Alice Alone

Alice is starting high school, and everything is new. But it’s the new girl, Penny, who’s making ninth grade a real challenge for Alice. Penny is tiny, perky, and a real flirt. She seems to have focused her attention on Patrick. Even worse, Patrick seems like he’s enjoying it.

Alice and Patrick have been a couple so long, Alice can’t imagine life without him. Suddenly she feels lost and unattractive and scared — not quite whole. How can Alice get back her confidence in herself, when she’s not even sure who she is?

Posted on: May 20, 2016

Simply Alice

It isn’t Alice and Patrick anymore; it’s simply Alice, and much to her surprise, Alice is finding that’s okay. In fact, working on the school play and becoming increasingly involved in the newspaper have Alice so busy she doesn’t have much time for her best friends Pamela and Elizabeth — and they resent it.

And if Alice ever needed friends, she needs them now. She’s got a secret e-mail admirer she’s not sure how to handle. Her brother, Lester, is plunging headlong into a risky romance with a professor. And her new friend, Faith, seems unable to break free of an abusive relationship with her boyfriend. It’s not simple being simply Alice.

Posted on: May 20, 2016

 

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