Simply Alice

November 17, 2003
"Romance problems are not just for royals. This 14th book in the popular Alice series finds the high school freshman looking at relationships in a brand-new way after breaking up with her boyfriend," noted PW
. Ages 12-up.

May 1, 2002
Gr 6-9-This title picks up where Alice Alone (Atheneum, 2001) left off. It is the second semester of ninth grade, and the teen is finally getting used to seeing her ex-boyfriend Patrick with his new girlfriend, Penny. Not that Alice has much time to think about them. With her work on the school play and her assignments for the student newspaper, she suddenly doesn't even have time to spend with Elizabeth and Pamela. Nonetheless, Alice is discouraged when they begin distancing themselves from her, and is unable to confide in them about the things happening in her life, such as the secret admirer e-mails she receives or the frightening hazing ordeal she endures. Alice is also worried about her new friend, Faith, whose boyfriend is becoming increasingly possessive and abusive, and her brother, Lester, who seems to be falling in love. As always, Alice finds ways of coping with all of these situations, learning a lot about relationships and herself in the process. As with the previous books, at times there seem to be almost too many issues and problems for one book to address, but Naylor manages to hold them all together through her thoughtful, intelligent protagonist. Fans of the series will not be disappointed by this latest installment, while newcomers will quickly be charmed by the likable teen and have no trouble picking up the story here.-Ashley Larsen, Woodside Library, CA

Copyright 2002 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

June 1, 2002
Gr. 6-9. There are no big crises in the fourteenth book about Alice. If she has problems as she completes her first year in high school, it's because she's too busy juggling all the different parts of her life, including stage crew, the school newspaper, new friends, and a stammering secret admirer, to say nothing of an emergency appendectomy that she takes in stride. One thing that does connect several episodes is embarrassment, from the opening chapter when Alice pees in her pants at school (and her friends help her cover up) to the end, when her beloved, sophisticated stepmother-to-be steps off the plane and vomits all over Alice's dad. More serious is the underlying question: When does something cease to be a joke and become harassment? Is pinching someone's butt just fun? What about hazing? Should Alice keep quiet after three guys humiliate her? She's sometimes too articulate for a 14-year-old, but the messages are neither superficial nor overearnest. Fans will grab this for the funny, honest daily drama of a teenager growing up now.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2002, American Library Association.)