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sammygee 's review for:
The Agony of Alice
by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
My favorite book in the Alice series! This was the first book Naylor wrote about Alice, though now it falls 4th in the series behind the 3 prequels.
Alice is in 6th grade and new to Silver Springs. She struggles with the idea of whether or not she is growing backwards as evidenced by all of her embarrassing moments.
Longing for a mother, Alice sets her sights on Miss Cole, a glamorous 6th grade teacher. She is sure that if she can just get placed in Miss Cole's class, then she will be living a life close to perfection. As fate would have it, Alice is placed in plain old Mrs. Plotkin's class. Though she's not happy about it, she decides she can live with her placement after Mrs. Plotkin recommneds her as a substitute Safety Patrol member which means she can spend Wednesday lunches in Miss Cole's classroom as she oversees the group.
Over the course of the school year Alice's feelings towards Mrs. Plotkin begin to change. She begins helping out in her classroom after school cleaning and organizing. Mrs. Plotkin becomes exactly the female influence she was longing for and it is Mrs. Plotkin that she misses when she makes a solo train trip to Chicago to visit family.
Alice is the kind of young girl that is relatable with a good heart. She doesn't always behave in admirable ways (she has told a lie or two in her time), but she is a character who really wants to do the right thing. She has a great relationship with her brother and her father and feels comfortable enough to express herself and ask the questions a girl on the verge of puberty needs to know.
I have read this book many times and love it more with each rereading. The Alice series has frequently been challenged for its frank discussion of sex, drugs, suicide, school violence, etc but it a series I would highly recommend for young girls to grow on. I'd recommend this title to girls grades 4-6.
Alice is in 6th grade and new to Silver Springs. She struggles with the idea of whether or not she is growing backwards as evidenced by all of her embarrassing moments.
Longing for a mother, Alice sets her sights on Miss Cole, a glamorous 6th grade teacher. She is sure that if she can just get placed in Miss Cole's class, then she will be living a life close to perfection. As fate would have it, Alice is placed in plain old Mrs. Plotkin's class. Though she's not happy about it, she decides she can live with her placement after Mrs. Plotkin recommneds her as a substitute Safety Patrol member which means she can spend Wednesday lunches in Miss Cole's classroom as she oversees the group.
Over the course of the school year Alice's feelings towards Mrs. Plotkin begin to change. She begins helping out in her classroom after school cleaning and organizing. Mrs. Plotkin becomes exactly the female influence she was longing for and it is Mrs. Plotkin that she misses when she makes a solo train trip to Chicago to visit family.
Alice is the kind of young girl that is relatable with a good heart. She doesn't always behave in admirable ways (she has told a lie or two in her time), but she is a character who really wants to do the right thing. She has a great relationship with her brother and her father and feels comfortable enough to express herself and ask the questions a girl on the verge of puberty needs to know.
I have read this book many times and love it more with each rereading. The Alice series has frequently been challenged for its frank discussion of sex, drugs, suicide, school violence, etc but it a series I would highly recommend for young girls to grow on. I'd recommend this title to girls grades 4-6.