Alice In-Between

Pamela should be allowed to have fun... she should not be taught to hide her light, but instead be taught self-defense. That being said, she did take her game a bit far. And Elizabeth should not be mocked for wanting to be innocent a bit longer. But see, that what made (makes?) these books so wonderful: there's no pat answers, no absolutes.

Unfortunately they are dated in some ways. And there is far too much BS in the schools... for example everyone almost immediately forgives the boys who tangled Pamela's hair in gum... her hair so long she could sit on it... they really need to be taken off the team or at least be given detention or something, not to mention paying for her haircut.

So much development book-to-book; glad they're short so show more I can keep reading to find out what happens! show less

Alice finishes 7th grade. The highlight of her summer is a trip to visit Aunt Sally and Uncle Milt in Chicago, taking the trip by train with her two best friends Pamela, who is too adventurous and sexually aware for her own good, and Elizabeth, who is far too prudish for her own good.
As with other Alice books, there is a main story-line and several minor story-lines, a main theme, (which here is 'just how grown up do you want to be'), and a serious crisis.
(spoiler alert)
The serious crisis here is that on the train ride to Chicago, Pamela, who is 13 but could pass for 18 when she tries, decides to lead on a 37 year old man who hits on her. He later sexually assaults her (groping, not rape) and she learns a few hard lessons in life show more through that experience.
And Alice remains endearing to the end. show less

Alice and her friends are going to be eighth graders! They are no longer the bottom of the rung, and they hang out almost every day at Mark Stedmeister’s pool. Alice and Patrick are together once more, and Elizabeth is finally beginning to open up to the idea of boys more. Pamela’s debating breaking up with Mark, but besides that, life is swell.

Or is it? These daily pool hangouts cause Alice to admit to herself her one giant fear: deep water. She can’t swim, and she’s petrified of putting her head underwater. Is this going to hamper her ability to mature when everyone else around her is conquering their fears? After all, Elizabeth is going with boys, Alice’s father and Miss Summers have something going on—what, he won’t show more tell Alice—and Patrick is having a great experience in Canada with his family. Will her fear of deep water be the end of her life as she knows it?

Not if her father and brother Lester have anything to say about it.

ALICE THE BRAVE is a sweet story of a family banding together to help Alice overcome her fear. I enjoyed reading about how all of the characters we have come to care about grow up and conquer challenges of their own. Eighth grade, look out! Alice is ready for anything! show less

I had been so enchanted with the Agony of Alice book in 5th grade. I found that Naylor as an author has an ability to speak to young teenage girls. It is nice to see that Naylor is able to continue to develop the Alice character. The main theme of the book is to show that nothing is ever as bad as it seems.

I find this Alice book to be an average book in the series. I find that Alice is a believable character. She is the typical awkward teenage girl that worries about how others perceive her. She wants to enjoy a summer vacation with her friends. These are all characteristics that a young teenager or pre-teen girl could relate to. It is a little bit different reading as an adult. It made me remember my middle school years, and glad that show more I no longer have to experience that. I find the dialogue to be believable for your average teenage girl as well. show less

This has to be my favorite so far in the series. I remember that in-between feeling so well. I feel like every couple of years you can't help but feel that way, or maybe that is just me. It's just one of those books that you can relate to and that makes you love it!

i LOVED the alice books growing up! i definitely recommend them to all girls around 9-10 and up, and the good news is that she's still writing them! so the series starts out when alice is in elementary school and now she's in high school!

Alice has waited all her life to be 13. Now that she's not a kid anymore, she talks often with her girlfriends about their bodies and about the boys at school. Still, Alice feels as if she's in-between being a woman and a child.