Alice Blog
Question:
love your books, and I’ve written to you before about that, but now I have a question.
I am in the eighth grade, and a bunch of girls have gone out with guys, but I haven’t. I
don’t know of a guy that’s ever liked me. I’m not very popular or unpopular, just in the middle.
There is a new guy who I really, really like, but I’ve never talked to him. I feel like now it’s too late in
the year to introduce myself. I’m always around him, and I see him in the halls, but I can’t just start
talking to him! I feel like I like him way too much, considering I barely know him! Also we don’t seem to
have very much in common. I think his family has very different political views from my family, and we
don’t really have the same interests. I have always liked guys who I new I would never date, because they
were way more popular than me. But this guy is not very popular either, and I think thats partly why I like him.
But yeah, I just feel like I like him a lot, and I wish I could make something happen. You always give great advice on
your website, so maybe you will respond to this! Thanks for reading this and I look forward to reading Alice on Board!
Phyllis replied:
Too late in the year? The school year is only two months old!!!!! Find any excuse at all. Bump into him and apologize, if you have to, just to use it as an excuse to say something. What about, “Hey! Nice jacket!” or “Did you understand that last assignment?” or “Going to game Friday?” As far as political or social differences go, you’re not marrying him, you just want to get to know him better to see if there’s a spark, right? Look at it this way: if you were new in a school and a guy who had never talked to you before began smiling at you, or finding excuses to talk to you, would you be offended? Of course not. Even if he wasn’t your type, I think you’d be flattered. Give it a try.
Posted on: November 11, 2011
Question:
Hi, I remember the first time that I read an Alice book – it was Alice Alone and I remember how I just fell in love with the series and I would go to the library and get out about 4 or 5 at once because I would just read them in one sitting! I really, really, really love them and I’m 16 now (around 13 when I found them) and I’m so excited for the next two books to see what happens!
Thank you so much for creating such an amazing series, I feel like every book shows an issue or Alice and her friends go through something that me and my friends or other teenagers go through and it’s so great to have a book series that we can relate to that’s actually so well written and generally great!
thank you thank you thank you
Phyllis replied:
It’s truly wonderful to know that the Alice books are read around the world. My editor will enjoy your email also.
Posted on: November 11, 2011
Question:
I am 11 years old in 6th grade. I home school part
time and go to private school the other half.
Both my parents love to write, and I do, to. I love reading equally.
I read “Alice In Agony” when I was 7, and then I found “Alice On
Her Way” last year. I haven’t read all your books, though I want to,
but I’ve read “Alice” In The Know”, “Alice On Her Way”, “Dangerously Alice”,
“Incredibly Alice”, “Alice In Charge”, and “Incredibly Alice”.
I love your books. I think they’re really sweet, and that they cover fantastic topics.
I love reading about the friendship involved, about Patrick,
about racism, about Amy Sheldon, and most of all all the friends and girls involved.
Every time Lix, Pamela, and Alice (and Gwen), I just feel really happy.
So I was wondering a few things:
A) When is the book after “Incredibly Alice” coming out? I can hardly wait!
B) Did some of the things in this book happen to you? What?
C) What character is most like you?
D) How many more books are in the Alice series. Have you
written them yet? When will they come out? Especially the one after
“Incredibly Alice”. How many more books are in the series?
I really like your books, and I want to thank you for writing them.
They have definitely made me think, and I just love them.
Phyllis replied:
An Alice book comes out every spring, either May or June. “Alice On Board” will be out next June. That’s number 27 of the Alice series. There will be one more after that, “Always Alice,” in 2013. Some of the events happened to me or to other people I know. The Tarzan scene in “The Agony of Alice” happened to me back in 4th grade. I’m a little bit of each of the girls in the stories, but mostly Alice, I think. I’m glad to know you enjoy them.
Posted on: November 11, 2011
Question:
HI!! I just bought Alice On Her Way and was wondering if I had to read the books in order? I don’t mind reading the others but this one looks really good and I don’t know if I can wait to read it. I will probalby end up reading all of them because they all look wonderful. 🙂
Phyllis replied:
Each of the Alice books can be read in any order, but they do follow the life of one girl from age 8 to 60. There are different plots or themes in each book, but for the most part these don’t carry over into the next one. What does carry over are the personalities of the many characters, the family situations, etc. If you can read the 28 books in order, that’s wonderful, but probably most readers pick up whichever one is available at their library or bookstore, and read either forward or back.
Posted on: November 10, 2011
Question:
there’s this girl at school who tells eveyone if they are saved or not. If you dont believe just like she does
she says your going to hell. what do you think?
Phyllis replied:
It’s strange, you know. If someone said they didn’t believe in gravity, for example, you could throw a ball up in the air and prove it comes down, and if they still didn’t believe, you’d probably smile and shrug and walk away. But when it comes to religion, where some things can’t be proven scientifically, then people have been tortured and put to death because they believe one way or another–as though the people doing the torturing are so insecure that they have to force people to believe as they do to convince themselves it’s true. Everyone has to discover their own beliefs for themselves. Some people simply accept what their church or their parents pass down to them. Others explore different religions and come back to the one they were brought up with. Others change religions or continually study and explore spiritual and religious questions. For myself, I don’t give much credit to symbols–such as having to wear a flag pin to show you are patriotic or attend church every Sunday to prove you are religious. I put a great deal of weight on the way a person lives his life, treats others, respects others and their different points of view. If I were face to face with the girl in your school, and she were after me because she felt I believed differently than she did, I would simply say, “I’m sorry that it bothers you so much,” and let it go.
Posted on: November 9, 2011
Question:
I am not a girl of many words, so I’ll just settle for this:Thank you. Thank you so much for sharing the Alice series with us.
Phyllis replied:
Thank you so much for writing. Now I know the new web address is working.
I’m one of your biggest admirers,
Posted on: November 8, 2011
I HAVE CHANGED MY EMAIL ADDRESS FROM friendsofalice@aol.com to friendsofalice@mail.com
If you have sent any emails to me in the last few days, please re-send them to me at the new web address. I look forward to hearing from you! Phyllis
Posted on: November 8, 2011
Question:
I’ve been in love with the same guy since we broke up almost 10 months ago. He was my first love and biggest heartbreak, and this year we have become friends again. Yet the spark is still very much there and we seem to flirt much more then we do anything else. This wouldn’t be a problem except I feel like my emotions go with how our relathionship is. We are both in the after school club, Health Occupations, together and when we spend a good time flirting and having fun I am elated. When we don’t talk at all or argue I go home terribly sad. Also, he is not a good influence for me. Some of the worst thigns I have done have been with him. I just can’t get over him. I know I must sound like every other teenage girl with a crush but all I want to do is move on. My question is, do you have any tips on how to move on from someone you have liked for over a year? I feel like my heart is stuck in this pattern of liking him that I can’t get out of.
Phyllis replied:
It’s a toughie, because sometimes it’s easier to work on your head than to work on your heart. If you fell for someone else who both attracted you and was GOOD for you, it would solve the problem, but in the meantime, you need to reinforce your wish to lose your attraction to him, if, in fact you really do. Figure out what it is that you like about him that IS good for you, and look for this in other guys. At the same time, think about the things you didn’t like about him–and there have got to be some–when he was crude, perhaps, or repulsive, or mean-spirited or did something you really couldn’t respect. Focus on those things when you feel you are missing him. And ask yourself, down deep, if part of the attraction is that it enabled you to do things you wouldn’t ordinarily do and blame someone else for it. What are your own goals? Where do you want to be five years from now? Choices you make now will help you get there or make it more difficult.
Posted on: October 29, 2011
Question:
I just wanted to let you know about something that happened this past week. I’m
a senior in college, double majoring in French and English, with emphasis in
Linguistics. Last week I passed one of my favorite English professors and she
had “Alice in Between” In her hand! I said, “Oh my gosh I LOVE that series!
Alice helped me make it through my childhood without my mom. They’re really
special to me.” She replied that she always teaches that particular book in the
series in her Children’s Lit class every fall, and they they were getting ready
to read it.
Today she invited me to her class to talk about why the books were so important
to me, and about the other novels in the series. She also asked me to read some
passages from a few of the other Alice books. I really teared up when I read
them the passage in which Mrs. Plotkin dies, and had to stop.
I really enjoyed getting to talk about you to another class, and explain why the
books mean so much to me. Thank you so much, again, for your series.
Phyllis replied:
And I enjoyed your email so much. I know what you mean about tearing up. Two of the scenes that always make me cry when I read them again are Alice’s memory of sitting on her mother’s lap in the hospital, and of the candlelight vigil around the Stedmeisters’ house. Over the years, these people have all become so real to me. Thank you for taking time from your own busy schedule to write to me.
Posted on: October 27, 2011
Question:
Whenever I feel like something isn’t right, or whenever I feel like I’m alone, I always turn to your Alice books. Everything about her comforts me and just lifts me up. I have so many boy problems it’s not even funny. I’m in 8th grade and there is this boy who is just confusing me. About a year ago I met this guy, and one of my friends really really liked him, and my two other friends liked him as well. But not as much as this one friend. Because of them, I was hanging out with him quite a lot, and he developed feelings for me, knowing that out of the four of us, I was the one who didn’t like him that way. I’m going to sound conceited, but I know I’m attractive, but so was my friend who really liked him. Anyway he’s fifteen and in High School now and I hadn’t seen for him at least eight months. I didn’t really miss him, my friend moved on and has been dating this guy she is really into. I was at the High School’s football game two or three weeks ago and I saw him, and me and my friends were like…what happened. He was so cute. He was never ugly, but now he was CUTE. He hung out with us a little bit that night, and flirted with me a lot but then was gone. But two days ago I went to another game and he was there again, and do you know how many people asked if were dating. I was just walking with him when he grabbed my hand, not just in a friendly I’m going to pull you over here kind of way, but actually intertwining our fingers and holding on tight kind of way. The whole night went on like this, he had his arm around me the whole night, and then we were just standing there in a group of people, and I kind of let my head rest on his shoulder and his hand was caressing my arm and it was just a really intimate moment. And he’s been texting me all weekend. But here’s my question, am I being led on? We go to different schools since he’s in High School and he’s two years older and I just can’t tell. Next time I see him should I ask him if we’re actually going anywhere? I don’t want to tell him to stop because every time I think of him, my stomach gets fluttery and I just smile. I’m just really confused.
Phyllis replied:
It’s simply too early to tell. It’s obvious he’s attracted to you and you’re attracted to him. But I think guys wish that girls wouldn’t try to label relationships the minute they take hold. Who really knows this soon? Not even him, probably. He may have been going with a girl at his school, and then you came along. He could be open to a relationship but wants to make sure how you feel about him first, and is taking it slow. He might really enjoy seeing you at games, but doesn’t want to get into dating for various reasons–his schedule may already be tight, he’s short of money, no car, etc. etc. Please just enjoy the back-and-forth and flirting that you’re doing right now and wait to see how things work out.
Posted on: October 25, 2011
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