Lovingly Alice

Alice Prequels #3

by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

In this repackaged novel in a beloved series, Alice realizes she has a lot to learn about life!

Now that Alice is growing up, she is finding out answers to all sorts of interesting things—but the questions keep on coming. For How exactly are babies made? Where has her best friend Sarah’s family disappeared to? And why is her father going to a concert with a woman ?!

Alice isn’t too sure about any of these things—but on top of doing her homework, playing with Oatmeal, trying to keep Lester’s girlfriends straight, and setting her dad up with the school nurse, she’s going to have to find out!

Genres: Young Adult, Fiction, Childrens, Middle Grade, Banned Books, Contemporary, Realistic Fiction

208 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2004

About the author

Phyllis Reynolds Naylor was born in Anderson, Indiana, US on January 4, 1933.

Her family were strongly religious with conservative, midwestern values and most of her childhood was spent moving a lot due to her father's occupation as a salesman.

Though she grew up during the Depression and her family did not have a lot of money, Naylor stated that she never felt poor because her family owned good books. Her parents enjoyed reading stories to the children--her father would imitate the characters in Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer--and her mother read to them every evening, "almost until we were old enough to go out on dates, though we never would have admitted this to anyone."

By the time Phyllis reached fifth grade, writing books was her favorite hobby and she would rush home from school each day to write down whatever plot had been forming in her head - at sixteen her first story was published in a local church magazine.

Phyllis has written over 80 books for children and young people. One of these books, "Shiloh," was awarded the Newbery Medal in 1992, was named a Notable Children's Book by the American Library Association and was also Young Adult Choice by the International Reading Association.

Naylor gets her ideas from things that happen to her or from things she has read. "Shiloh" was inspired by a little abused dog she and her husband found. The little dog haunted her so much that she had to write a story about him to get it out of her mind.

Reviews

[Yapha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although I have read many books in the Alice series, I specifically picked up this one because I had recently read some objections to graphic descriptions in the book. Since we have this in my library, I wanted to see for myself. Alice is in 5th grade in this book, and it is a year of changes for her. Changes, whether they are good or bad, are always uncomfortable. One of the changes that happens is that her good friend Rosalind is the first of the girls in her class to get her period. Of course the rest of the girls are curious about what exactly this is and why it happens. I felt that the explanations given were scientifically accurate (including terminology) as well as age appropriate for fifth grade girls wondering what was happening to their bodies and how babies are made. The book covers many other issues as well, including what happens when the other girls don't like your closest friend and the devastating loss of a pet. All in all an excellent addition to the Alice series.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Naylor has an uncanny knack for capturing the words and thoughts of a ten-year-old. Alice's conversations with her friends about periods and sex were almost VERBATIM the talks that I had with my own friends back when I was in fifth grade.

*SPOILERS*

Alice's story is episodic in nature, but that works for the age level to which this book was written. And her life isn't all sunshine and roses. In this book she has to deal with the death of her cat (sad!) and the loss of a friend. Her joys and heartaches form Alice into a living and breathing character, and makes me root for her. After deciding to start with the prequels published after the fact, I can't wait to get to Alice's original story.

[Audrey · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book when I was 8, so I kind of thought it was a terrible book for telling me how babies were made. So don't read it when you're 8! :) But looking back on it, it was a decent book and I like Alice so 3 stars. I don't really remember it because I read it a while ago now...

[Fierymermaidbooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is literally amazing! It’s the last of three prequels in the Alice series and I am addicted! In this book, you get to experience growing up all over again, like shaving your legs for the first time😂 Alice’s best friend moved away, and she has to learn to cope with it. This book also deals with young girls body shaming each other, when a girl is excluded from a party simply because she is heavier than the others. My favorite part is probably when she convinced Lester to go to prom in shorts since he broke his leg and of course her phone calls with Mickey and Lisa. At the end we find out that Alice is moving and leaving behind Rosalind and Donald, but I am super excited because it will lead us straight into the middle school years which I will be starting shortly!

[Tricia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Admittedly I picked this one up in order to see what all the hubbub was about objectionable material. Along the lines of Judy Blume, adolescent girls will enjoy learning about "girl stuff" that they may not be comfortable enough to speak to their parents about as a discussion centered around books in this Alice series. While I don't see that it was excessively graphic or descriptive, sensitive parents exist and therefore, it is recommended that parents with strict guidelines on their children's reading intake give it a read first rather than rely on a librarian's opinion.

[Melody Loomis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Now I’m really sad because there are no more Alice books to read. I’ve read them all. This one was great. It’s nice to see what happens to Alice right before the Agony of Alice, which is the book I read first. When my niece gets old enough, I’m going to get her reading these books! Such a great series!

[Betsy · Rating 5 out of 5]

If I had a daughter, Naylor's Alice series is one that I would encourage her to read. Perhaps one of these days I'll buy the entire set for my nieces. I greatly admire Naylor for continuing to make the Alice books readable and interesting after writing so many of them.

[Kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love these Alice prequels so much - they have the timelessness of the Ramona Quimby stories with an Alice flair that's all her own. I read these countless times as a teenager for a comforting hug for my anxious brain.

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm done with this series. It's disappointing because I loved Naylor's Boys vs. Girls series so I was excited for another series. But as much sex talk as there is now, I'm scared at how it will progress into her books as Alice gets older. I don't want to fill my head with that kind of thing

[Bernice Tsao · Rating 5 out of 5]

i was so sad when oatmeal died....

[Skylar Dowell · Rating 4 out of 5]

WHY DID OATMEAL HAVE TO DIEEEEEEE! Otherwise good book

[Syd · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm giving this book a 3.5 because on one hand Alice got on my nerves and was being an asshole at times, but on another hand she knew she was being an asshole. Alright, when Alice's cat died I felt for her, I really did. I thought about my own cat at home (as I'm away at college) and it made me sad thinking our cats are the exact same age and hers just died. It almost made me want to call my mom to check and make sure my cat, Scorpius, was okay. So I get that she had to have been hurting, but she was being a little bit of an ass to people who didn't ask for it. Anyways, she did redeem herself towards the end of the book when she generally started being a lot better to people. I don't have too much to say about this book really. I like the fact that the book ended on a good note and I'm looking foward to the next one.

[Joyce · Rating 5 out of 5]

I remember so much from when I first read this at Alice's age here. I learned about growing up from this book, and the personal lessons about life's ups and downs were wonderfully written. I liked that Lester got a job at the miniature gold place because I just went to one for the first time last week.

[Jimmy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I give this book an extra star for its frank and realistic handling of girls' discussion and experience of menstruation in a fictional story. Apparently there is a series of Alice books, written for older elementary/preteen students. This is one of the prequels of the series.

[Jen (The Jenerator) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am really enjoying this series! I am enjoying Alice growing up.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Stephanie Joelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

The ending made me teary. Very relatable for me. I love these books so much! It’s amazing how good they still are after all these many years later! ❤️

[Annabelle]

this book traumatized me

[Jo Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

It can feel so cozy returning to a childhood favorite as a grown adult. Especially when you're going through major life changes. <3

[Mel · Rating 3 out of 5]

The best prequel was #1 imo. Not a huge fan of Alice’s friends, but she’s a sweet girl and a good friend. I’ll always love Donald Sheavers stories.

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovingly Alice was a great way to conclude the prequel novels that Naylor wrote many years after the start of the series, letting us experience Alice's third, fourth and fifth grade years with her. This one covers fifth grade and includes the momentous major event--Alice moving away from Takoma Park with Dad and Lester and settling in Silver Spring, where the main series will take place. It's another warm, charming book full of mishaps and hilarity. The highlight of this one is Alice's big co-ed birthday party. I will miss all her friends in Takoma Park. Rosalind will make an appearance much later on, but I don't remember how that went and I look forward to it.

[Carla · Rating 3 out of 5]

Better than the previous books, even if it was a little sad about the cat, the friend, and her moving. Still a nice series, although it could have done without all the sex talk - it was only four pages, but, I felt that that was overkill.

[Brooke — brooklynnnnereads · Rating 4 out of 5]

This really is one of the best coming of age book series for girls out there. As I currently reread the series in my mid-twenties I love the nostalgic feeling of reliving my youth and the somewhat similar situations that Alice faces.

In this installment, Alice unsurprisingly is getting older and is in the fifth grade. As the series progresses the maturity of the content also evolves but I believe it's appropriate for readers of similar ages to Alice. Some of the events in this novel are having a friend move away, facing the death of a beloved pet, and learning about becoming a woman.

Alice is as funny and dramatic as ever in this novel and as always, I find Lester amusing. Maybe it's because I have an older brother and our relationship was probably quite similar but I find the pairing quite the dynamic duo.

This book is a really great companion for readers of a similar age to Alice (or those of us trying to relive or capture what is left of our youth). It will shed a light on events that are relatable and gives the feeling that Alice is your friend. A definite recommended read, especially for younger girls!

[Molly (Conan the Librarian) Crumbley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alice McKinley is on the verge of starting 5th grade, and things are totally up in the air.

This is supposed to be the year that she and her friends rule the school…but one of her friends suddenly moved away without saying a word. On top of that, Alice’s father is dating again, everybody’s talking about the birds and the bees, and an unexpected loss shakes the McKinley family to the core. Oh yeah, and the whole family is going to be MOVING at the end of the year!

Basically, Alice has a whole lot weighing down her little shoulders, and she handles all of her many trials and tribulations with her characteristic humor and charm. Maybe this will be the year Alice McKinley finally gets her act together….or then again, maybe not. Either way, following her adventures will be a lot of fun for older readers. Lovingly Alice is the perfect segue to the rest of the series, which continues with The Agony of Alice.

This review originally appeared on abookandahug.com

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one hits all the right notes. Alice has begun 5th grade, and things are changing for her, her family, and her friends. Her dad is back in the dating scene, Lester has two different girls vying for him, and Alice is wondering what's in store for her. Unfortunately, she ends up having a challenging year. Her kitty dies and her friend's sister gets a tumor, leaving her wondering about God and why bad things happen to good people/creatures.

Her friend Rosalind also gets her period, so Alice learns more about the human body and how women get pregnant. Naylor's no-nonsense style of writing is perfect for those readers who crave this information but aren't getting it from school or parents. Her direct approach is great, and I would gladly give this book to tweens.

[Jackie · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this installment of the Alice series, Alice finds herself in 5th grade and sort of pessimistic about life in general. Her cat dies, her best friend Sara moves without telling her, and her brother breaks his ankle just before prom. But, Alice is resilient and confident about herself. Her dad and brother, Les are her confidants...even when she asks them about sex, menstruation, and relationships.

Lovingly Alice is a no-nonsense, realistic glimpse into the life of a 5th girl, one who is on the cusp of her tumultuous teenage years. Humor, honesty, and compassion follow her throughout school and family life.

[Helen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another Alice book that a student and parent thought was inappropriate. In this one, one of Alice's friends gets her period and explains it all to the girls and they discuss how sex happens. It is all handled well with appropriate words, etc. Alice is in 5th grade and it seemed like questions girls would really have. I think this is a great series and since the kids have health films in 4th grade, this shouldn't be anything new for them. The parent didn't want her student reading about it and thought they should learn the facts of life at home, but unfortunately a lot of kids don't and need books like this. So this one is staying on the shelf.

[Samantha · Rating 3 out of 5]

A hard year for Alice in which one of her best friends moves away and her cat Oatmeal passes away due to a heart condition. At a slumber party, Alice and her friends learn a lot about their changing bodies after Rosalind in the first girl in their group to get her period. At the end of the book, Alice and her family prepare to move to Silver Springs.

On the whole, one of the shorter Alice books and probably my least favorite of the prequels, but it gets readers ready for The Agony of Alice.

Recommended for girls grades 4-6.

[Marietje · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovingly Alice is a delightful book about the trials and triumph of a ten year old girl over one school year (fifth grade). Alice struggles with regular issues of her age, friendships, talk about sex and periods, a pet dying, her relationship with her older brother etc. Naylor uses simple language and and clears up misunderstandings by having Alice talk to the adults in her life and her friends. I thought the book was very age appropriate and treats the problems of fifth grade girl lovingly and realistically.

[Michele · Rating 4 out of 5]

Out of the prequels this was probably my favorite. This one reminded me of a Judy Blume book. It talks about becoming a woman and her learning about sex and how babies are actually made. Alice is really becoming her own and learns sometimes the works can be a cruel place. She is deciding to take the high road. I really hope their is continued developed of some of the sub characters as he main series develops.