Alice Blog

Thank you

Hi! I just wanted to thank you for giving me the best years of my life. I struggled as a preteen, fitting in a world that didn’t have a place for me. Thank you for letting me, letting your readers into the world of Alice McKinley.

Thank you for writing to tell me so.

A huge thank you

Dear Phyllis,
I started the Alice-Series when I was in elementary school, listening to the german audiobooks of the prequels all day long. I wanted to thank you for writing my all-time favorite book series! My local library in Germany sadly only carried the first few books of you series, so I always had do steal my moms ebook reader to read the english versions of the books later. Currently I am earning my masters degree in education for elementry school where we discuss lots of of childrens/youth literature and I still have to say the way you portrayed not only my favorite character Alice but also all the other characters while still giving so much room for important topics like loss, family, sexuality… it’s just so unique, amazing and still so relevant!!! The way I could relate to Alice still amazes me to this day, especially all her embarassing moments! Last year I ordered the first 13ish books in german from eBay and I instately fell in love with it again. Do you know if there are audiobooks in English available still? Because so far I sadly only could find one on audible… I honestly can’t wait to recommend this series to my future students. So again thank you so much for the huge positive impact you had on my life.

I think you’re right, there is probably only one Alice book on audible.  Perhaps some people feel that the series is dated, and they’re right as far as cell phones and social media and other technologies are concerned.  But the basic themes in a girl’s life are still there–the feelings are real–and that’s what readers connect with.  I’m glad you were able to find some books in German.

 

A big thank you

Dear Phyllis,

i am writing to you from Germany.
I am 32 years old now and when i was about 12 i found a german version of “all but Alice” in my local library. It was a lucky coincidence!
I felt close to Alice from the first chapter on. Also having red hair and a funny bigger brother made it easy for me to connect.
Of course, i wanted to read on and on about Alice’ adventures but after about 6 or 7 books there were no more german editions. So by the age of 13 i begged my parents that i may order the english books. I was just starting to learn english back then, so i wouldnt know if i could understand anything. I couldnt wait for the books to arrive finally and sat down reading with two books – Alice and a dictionary next to each other 🙂
it was my way of learning english and as a nice side effect: my grades in english became very good 🙂
The books always gave me a warm feeling of being understood as a teenager, of seeing how arguments can be solved, how Love can be shown, how friendship looks like. It cured my heart many, many times – then and now. When i was about 23 i read the last book and i couldnt finish it for months because i knew it would make me cry – and read it all over again 🙂

Now, i am in my 30s and cancer hit me two years ago. With having so much time at home and needing to rest i felt like i wanted to read the Alice series again. I was feeling very sad during Chemo the past year but when i re-read about Alice’ adventures, it made me feel safe and happy. It lightened up many dark days.

I just finished the last book again and found out a few weeks ago that my treatment was successful.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for all your books. I wish all the best to you and your Family:)

 

I am so happy for you, that your treatment was successful.  And so glad that you found the Alice series a comfort.  I’ve heard from many readers in Germany that they had to order the books that the German publisher didn’t offer, and I’m impressed that you were able to learn English this way.  Thank you so much for writing to me.  It made my day!

Thank you!

Hey, I am a big Alice fan from Germany! I’ve started reading the Alice books when I was 9 years old and I’ve been reading them ever since. I am 19 years old and just graduated high school. Currently I’m reading “Alice in charge” where it’s her senior year of high school. Even though Germany and the US are different in some ways, I’ve always felt very connected to everything that the books deal with. It feels like I have been growing up with Alice because I’ve known her and all of her friends for 10 years now. I literally cried for an hour when Mark died, I was devastated. Actually, the first time I’ve cried for a book character was when Mrs Plotkin passed away in the earlier books. I just wanted to tell you, that I love the Alice Series and all of the stories and subjects, the books deal with. I am looking forward to finishing the last few books and finding out how her life continues, but I’m also sad knowing that there aren’t any more books about Alice and the others to read, as you have finished the book series a quite some time ago. I think it would have been interesting to know how their life would be in the current situation with all of social media and a pandemic going on. Anyways, I just wanted to thank you for your Alice books! They have helped and entertained me a lot!!!!

I hear from a number of readers in Germany and other countries.  Alice books have been translated into a number of different languages, and I’m glad you were able to find them in Germany.  There are 28 books in all, beginning with Starting with Alice (Alice in 3rd grade), and ending with Now I’ll Tell You Everything,” in which, I believe, Alice and her friends reach their sixties.    Thank you for taking time to write to me.  I enjoyed every minute of writing those books.

Still Loving Alice as an Adult

 

I’m writing just to share with you how much I love the Alice books. I am 28 years old and about to get married, and this summer have been working my way through the Alice series in order.

I grew up in small-town Indiana, and my local library had most of the Alice books, but I read them all out of order as I was able to get my hands on them. And of course, I think there are at least a couple near the end that I never read, after I went away to college.

I don’t have a question, I only want to thank you for creating these books and characters. As a child, Alice felt like the older sister I never had. As an adult, I just adore the whole McKinley family– especially Lester! I expected this series to be a “nostalgia trip” for me, but instead I find the trials and triumphs of Alice as relatable and captivating now as they were to me nearly twenty years ago.

Thank you, and wishing you all the best,

 

I grew  up in a small Indiana town too, until junior high school, and then we moved to Illinois.  There are 28 books total in the Alice series–she is in third grade in Starting with Alice, and the final book–Now I’ll Tell You Everything–takes her from 18 to….I’m not sure…60?  I loved Lester too.  Whenever it was time to write a chapter with Lester in it, it was such great fun for me.  Thanks so much for writing to me.

Book Report

I have to say thank for writing such an awesome book

I’m not sure which Alice book you’re referring to, but I’m glad you enjoyed it so much.  (I hope your book report is a little longer than this).

Alice Alone

Hello Mrs. Naylor. The story of Alice’s freshman year touched me deeply. I admire Alice’s kindness, honesty, and self-respect. I’m most grateful for the narration you provided on behalf of Alice! I would love to adapt Alice Alone into a film, and thought I should tell you my desire before attempting.

I’m glad the book meant so much to you.

Just saying thanks!

Hi Phyllis I just wanted to say that I loved your Alice books as a kid I read every single one that the library had even read them out of order because they never had all the books and I never could afford them on my own I just want to say that it really helped me with a lot of things as I was such a introverted kid so happy you made these books and I just wanted to tell you you’re an awesome writer and they really made school bearable for me sending love and light ❤️

I’m delighted that my books meant so much to you.  Sometimes it made me so nervous thinking that I had promised my readers to take Alice to adulthood.  And though I was never seriously ill, I began to wonder what would happen if I were suddenly run over by a bus or something and  readers would wonder whatever happened to Alice.  It bothered me so much that I finally took time to quickly write a condensed version of what might become the final book.  I put it in a little safe in my office, with a letter to my sons saying, “Mike and Jeff, if anything  happens to me before my final Alice book is written, please send this manuscript to my editor at Atheneum.  Love, Mom

P.S.  And no, I did not keep that manuscript, and I am still alive and  presently working on another adult novel

Just saying thank you

Hi PRN, I just really wanted to thank you for the Alice series and for literally making my child. I first discovered Alice when I was in the 4th grade, starting from outrageously Alice. And I was so shocked by how open and outgoing this girl was, so curious  and comfortable asking uncomfortable questions. I was so intrigued by this series and fell in love immediately and read each copy from the beginning which my 4th grade teacher had in her connection. I thought it was meant to be since by 4th grade teacher was very similar to Mrs. Plotkin who she came to adore. Reading these books I felt more comfortable wondering and feeling some of the same things Alice was, I felt better knowing I was experiencing some of the same things as Alice, (don’t get me started on the locker room when I got to middle school). Your words really answered alot of questions for me, questions I never would’ve felt comfortable asking my parents or an adult. Things like puberty and sex, and friendships and insecurities. I probably related to everything Alice was feeling in middle school, and it made me feel better knowing that. Just thank you so much for teaching me and basically raising me. Even at my age I still reread this series and I probably always will. Thank you so much.

 

I was so grateful for your email.  I’m sure that the book banners have taken many of the Alice books off the shelves, and it is so sad that some adults haven’t grown up enough to realize that there is absolutely nothing wrong with wanting answers to questions, whether they are about bodies or bananas.  I still remember a letter I got from a mother who said my books were dangerous because “my daughter doesn’t think about sex, and I don’t WANT her to.”  And a few days later I received another letter from a girl saying how much she loved the Alice books:  “My mother says I never think about sex but I think about sex ALL THE TIME!”

Alice fan, saying thanks

 

I only recently realized that several very important books from my childhood were written by you: the first Shiloh book and the Alice books –“Alice in Rapture, Sort of” was my favorite. I think of Alice sitting on her porch swing every single time I see chocolate covered potato chips somewhere, and I write “Chopin’s Lizt” on top of my grocery list and I remember Lester’s girlfriend fixing Alice’s perm when I put curlers in my hair. These are small things, probably, but sweet things, just as I think of my grandmother when I fold towels, or my mother when I see an R.C. Cola. Your stories have left a profound and lovely imprint on my life. I know you must have heard it a million times by now, but thank you. I loved those books and Alice in particular helped me through a difficult time.

God bless.

Thank you so much for your lovely note.  I had so much fun writing the Alice series.  For 28 years I set aside six months of every year to write another book, and always hoped I’d live long enough to write the ending.  Those little details you mentioned were precious to me too