Alice Blog

Question about a song

Comment:

In one of the books, I remember Alice singing “Sorry’s sugar from your lips, a cotton candy cane. Words can help but not so much, you’ve got to really change.” Sorry if I messed up the lyrics. But is this an actual song with a melody or did you create the lyrics yourself? I’ve been singing the lyrics with my own melody for years now, but I would love to know the answer. Thank you!

 

Phyllis replied:

I love knowing that you put a melody to those words.  I made the words up, something to fit her mood or the circumstances.  (You have my  permission to make a hit tune out of it!) 🙂

Thank You

Comment:

Thank you so much for writing the Alice series. Growing up, I remember first borrowing “The Grooming of Alice” from my public library, because I thought the book jacket looked “interesting.” I soon fell head over heels in love with the book. I remember being at the young age of 10, running through the library and disrupting the peace just to get my grubby little hands onto a copy. I was so inspired by Alice’s letter, I wrote one to myself. Now I’m 14 years old, and just last week while sorting through my things I opened the letter. I went back and re-read the entire series, and was once again reminded of why I love this series and will forever love it. Each girl can find a little piece of themselves in one of the characters, whether it be Elizabeth, Pamela, Gwen, Alice, Lori, or anyone. I laughed, cried, screamed and sobbed when I re-read the entire series. The Alice series truly shaped who I am today, taught me lessons in life, helped me grow along with Alice, and just today when I closed the final pages of the last book, I felt a sense of sadness, because when I closed the last page, I knew a part of my childhood had ended. Thank you, Mrs Naylor. Thank you for writing this series and helping a whole generation of girls learn and to laugh with Alice. Thank you for giving Alice the ending she deserves, and for shaping my childhood.

 

Phyllis replied:

I appreciated your letter so much.  It was good to know that Alice was part of your early years, and is still relevant now.  I cried too when I wrote some of the scenes that take place, and cheered in the final book when Alice finally meets up with somebody important!

letter from Austria

Comment:

I started reading the Alice books ten years ago at age eight and I absolutely love them to this very day. Back then, growing up in Austria, Europe, I didn’t have any idea about the geography of the US but when I got to the US for the first time this year in June, we drove from NYC to DC and we went past Silver Spring! And I got all excited because due to your Alice books I’ve known about it ever since I was eight, however, I’d never considered that it was an actual place. But it felt so familiar right away and so do your books every time I open them! I owe you so much as your Alice books have given me so much joy, happiness and warmth over the past ten years. Now to my question: Which Alice novel was your favourite to write? Because us readers usually have a personal favourie so I reckon maybe you as the author have one too?
Love from Austria!

 

Phyllis replied:

I’m so glad you found the Alice books, and hope you were able to locate all 28 of them.  I guess I really don’t remember things in terms of the book titles–rather, I think of scenes I especially enjoyed writing, or that wrenched me emotionally.  All the conversations between  Alice and Lester were fun to write, and Alice’s questions at the dinner table about life and love amused me too.  Other scenes I remember crying over–Mark’s death, in particular.  The argument with Sylvia was worrisome to write about…..  I could go on forever.  I love hearing from Alice fans in other countries.  Thanks for writing to me.

CD from Including Alice

Comment:

I want to first tell you how much I love your books. I started reading the series when I was in the sixth grade. It was the worst year for me and because of your series, I felt like I had a friend. I am now 28 years old and I still re-read them from time to time. I am in that stage where all of my friends are getting married and starting families and I’m just…me. I was looking for the CD that came with the book “Including Alice” the other day and I was unable to find it. Could you tell me what three songs were included? Please and thank you! I could never express how much these books truly meant to me. Thank you for writing them and thank you for being such an amazing writer!

 

Phyllis replied:

Thanks so much for your email.  I wish I could tell you about the CD that came with that book, but actually it was in only the first thousand books sold.  A friend of Lois Lowry’s composed classical music pieces and I asked if he could compose one for the wedding of Alice’s dad, so he did.  I just checked my own copy and don’t even have that CD myself.  I can only tell you that it was short and classical.  I’m so happy that you found the Alice books.  If you’ve read all 28 and followed Alice through her life, you’ll know that happiness can happen any time, at any age, though I prefer to call it “contentment.”   Happiness is the opposite of sadness–you feel extra good, extra excited, extra wonderful when you are happy, and none of us can go around feeling that degree of emotion for a sustained time, just as it’s difficult to stay sad a very long time.  Look for a state of “contentment” where you are comfortable where you are, knowing that disappointment is part of every life, and that happiness, too, will take you by surprise.

Patrick!

Comment:

I am 12 years old and just started the Alice series this year and already love them! I just finished the 10th book(Achingly Alice) and I have loved them so far. My question is when Patrick finds out that Alice is interested in Sam from her camera club, does he get jealous or doesn’t care? Do Alice and Patrick end up getting married? Does Ms.Summers and Ben( Alice’s dad)? I will understand if you don’t answer me so that you won’t ruin the rest of the series but I just thought I would ask! Thank you for writing the Alice books you have made a impact on many people, I hope you know that!

 

Phyllis replied:

Ah, yes!  Patrick.  All the girls want to know about him.   Do you really think I would answer those questions and ruin the suspense for you? You will definitely get all the answers by the time you finish all 28 books!

who does Alice marry?

Comment:

hello, alice marries who? thank you

Phyllis replied:

Oh, you wouldn’t want me to ruin it for you, would you?  All your questions are answered in the final book, Now I’ll Tell You Everything.

A New Perspective on Alice

Comment:

I’ve been reading the Alice books for years on end, and have all 28 of them sitting up on my bookshelf. I have a tradition of re-reading a book or two every summer, and I find that each time different parts of the books speak to me in ways they never had before, leading me to even discover new things about myself. This spring I graduated college, and am having a tough time adjusting to this new transition in my life. I just re-finished “Now I’ll Tell You Everything,” and it was as if it had all the answers I’d been searching for, or at least it gave me the strength to find the answers within myself. I’ve read this book maybe three or four times, but this time it revealed a new perspective on Alice, and at times I felt like I was reading a book about my own life. I thought I would share just how special and irreplaceable these books have been for me over the years. I don’t know how I would’ve made it through without them, and I can’t thank you enough for creating the world of Alice.

 

Phyllis replied:

Thank you so much for your email.  It’s just wonderful to know how much they have helped you.  Probably just writing them was a  help to me also, because it caused me to think over each period of my life, the lives of friends, think which experiences were helpful to me and which weren’t…  I imagine that mostly the books simply enabled you to find strength and direction in yourself, as you point out.  Wishing you the very best for the next phases of your life!

Mirrors My Life Exactly….

Comment:

I can’t explain to you the type of revelation I’m getting. I’ve read the Alice series for years and just thank you so much for writing it. As I was thinking about it today I realized that It mirrors my life exactly..from having an older brother to my mom passing as well, it was a perfect series for me. Thank you so so much. It’s impacted me so much.

 

Phyllis replied:

Thank you for writing to tell me so.  Sometimes we look back on things we have experienced and find new meaning in them, and I’m glad that this was the case with you.  Best of luck in the rest of your life!

 

Lester and his girlfriends

Comment:

I’ve been a fan of your Alice books for more than a decade and it’s especially Lester and his (ex) girlfriends who never fail to make me smile. Now, my question: Do you have a favourite out of all of Lesters girlfriends? I feel like it might be Marilyn since she’s the only one who gets a happy ending (we don’t know how the others end up except for Crystal who’s clearly unhappy) but I’m not sure if you even have a favourite one. If so, who is it?

 

Phyllis replied:

There certainly have been a number of girlfriends, so I don’t remember them all. But I’m with Alice–I think she always hoped that Les and Marilyn would marry.  Guess that wasn’t to be, but–as so often happens in life–Lester found a woman to fall in love with that wasn’t exactly who anyone else might have chosen for him.

Alice and her appearance

Comment:

Hey! I love the Alice series. I am so sad it ended but I hope maybe another Alice like character will pop up! But just one question. What is the color of Alice’s eyes? And her dad’s eyes. That was never to clear to me. Thanks for trying to respond!

Phyllis replied:

I’d have to start reading the whole series in order to find out.  My memory is that they are green.  I don’t know that I ever mentioned her dad’s eyes.  Maybe one of my readers will remember and answer for me.