The Alice series is a young adult book series written by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor, consisting of 25 books and three prequels, and it has been frequently challenged, as documented in the American Library Association's lists of the 100 most frequently challenged books from 1990 to 2019. The main character is Alice McKinley, and the Alice series covers her development through adolescence and puberty to the final book, Now I'll Tell You Everything, where Alice turns 60 years old. Through intimate relationships, jobs, disastrous accidents, and accidental parental meetings, the journey from a child into a grown woman is narrated in the Alice series. Important and notable characters are Alice's three best friends, Pamela, Gwen, Elizabeth; her first love, Patrick; her aunt, Sally; her brother, Lester; and her father. Dating, sex, friendship, familial matters, religion, and homosexuality are some of the controversial themes that Phyllis Reynolds Naylor uses to narrate the life story of Alice McKinley.
Background
Phyllis Reynolds Naylor was born in 1933 in Anderson, Indiana. Naylor has written over 125 adult and young-adult novels, 28 of them in the Alice novel series. Naylor was awarded the Edgar Allan Poe Award in 1984 by the Mystery Writers of America for Night Cry. In 1992, Naylor won the Newbery Medal for Shiloh.
Phyllis Reynolds Naylor was raised by both her parents, Eugene and Lura Reynolds, who fostered a conservative and religious upbringing. As a teenager, Naylor wrote for her Church paper and certain school celebrations. Naylor later attended and graduated from Joliet Junior College in 1953. During her first marriage, Naylor worked for the Board of Education's philosophy office in Rockville, Maryland, and for the Montgomery County Education Association. After her divorce, Naylor achieved a B.A. in psychology from American University in 1963. Naylor considered a Ph.D. in the psychology field, but redirected her career path since she was more interested in becoming a professional writer.
The foundation for the Alice series, The Agony of Alice, was originally planned as a novel with no intentions for it to be developed into a series. In an interview with Elizabeth Devereaux in 2002, Naylor said: "I just wanted to write about a motherless girl looking for a role model who finds it not in the most beautiful teacher at school, the one she had hoped to get, but in the homeliest". Then, as she explains in the interview, Naylor started reflecting on her own personal moments, which became an inspiration for a series of books based on the original Alice character.
The Alice series
The Agony of Alice (September 1, 1985) – 6th Grade: Alice moves with her father and brother to Silver Spring, Maryland. The void of her mother, who died of cancer, is heightened through Alice's desire to have a woman-figure to help guide her through adolescence and puberty. Alice in Rapture, Sort of (March 31, 1989) – Summer before 7th Grade: The summer of the first boyfriend where Alice, Pamela, and Elizabeth spend summer together with respective boyfriends. Reluctantly Alice (March 30, 1991) – Fall of 7th Grade: Alice tries to survive seventh grade. She makes it her goal to be liked by everyone while she deals with Denise Whitlock, the school bully. All but Alice (April 30, 1992) – Winter of 7th Grade: Alice deals with the choice of popularity [gets to be one of The Famous Eight/Beautiful People] or being herself. She learns more about true friendship and following her heart. Alice in April (April 30, 1993) – Spring of 7th Grade: Alice tries to become "Woman of the House", just like how Aunt Sally says she is becoming. Alice In-Between (March 1, 1994) – End of 7th Grade: Alice turns thirteen and copes between girlhood and womanhood. She gets to take a trip to Chicago with Elizabeth and Pamela to visit Aunt Sally. Alice the Brave (May 1, 1995) – Summer before 8th Grade: Alice is afraid that her friends will notice her fear of deep water. Alice in Lace (March 1, 1996) – Beginning of 8th Grade: Alice and Patrick pretend to be married as part of a school project for their health class. Outrageously Alice (May 1, 1997) – Fall of 8th Grade: Alice is tired of the monotony of life and wants outrageous things to happen to her. She joins clubs and dyes her hair green, much to her father's dismay. Achingly Alice (June 1, 1998) – Winter of 8th Grade: Alice decides she needs to set priorities in life and make things happen. She also develops a crush on Sam, the boy in her camera club. Alice on the Outside (June 1, 1999) – Spring of 8th Grade: Alice explores the feeling of being excluded and marginalized. She also learns an unsettling truth about a friend. The Grooming of Alice (May 1, 2000) – Summer before 9th Grade: Alice, Pamela, and Elizabeth spend the entire summer trying to get perfect bodies for ninth grade. Alice Alone (May 1, 2001) – First semester of 9th Grade: Alice breaks up with Patrick after a girl in their grade, Penny, took interest in him. She struggles with the idea of being single and learns to love herself even without a boyfriend. Simply Alice (May 1, 2002) – Second semester of 9th Grade: Pamela and Elizabeth feel left out in Alice's life as she begins to branch out on her own with new activities and new friends. Alice also handles a secret email admirer. Patiently Alice (May 1, 2003) – Summer before 10th Grade: Alice, Pamela, Elizabeth and Gwen volunteer to be counselors together at a camp for troubled kids. Including Alice (May 1, 2004) – First semester of 10th Grade: Ben and Sylvia finally get married and Alice feels left out with all the new changes happening around in the house. Alice also contemplates the value of social customs. Alice on Her Way (June 1, 2005) – Second semester of 10th Grade: Alice's sixteenth birthday is coming up and she tries to get her driver's license. Alice also has a new boyfriend and learns more about relationships, intimacy, and experiences a new stimulating adventure through a class trip to New York. Alice in the Know (June 1, 2006) – Summer before 11th Grade: Alice works in a local departmental store for the summer, goes for a trip to the beach with Elizabeth and Pamela, and a good friend becomes seriously ill. Dangerously Alice (May 8, 2007) – First semester of 11th grade: Alice is determined to defy the perception of her of being "Miss Goody Two-shoes", so she becomes rebellious by sneaking out and dating Tony. Alice's attitude towards life is changed when her friend takes part in a drunk-driving crash. Almost Alice (June 18, 2008) – Second semester of 11th grade: Alice is excited about attending prom and worries that the invite from Patrick will accidentally revive their late relationship. Pamela has a big decision to make. Intensely Alice (June 2, 2009) – The summer before 12th grade: Alice visits Patrick at his college at Chicago. A life changing incident brings the whole gang back together. Alice in Charge (June 2010) – First semester of senior year: Alice encounters a group of neo-Nazis disturbing the peace at her school. An encounter in the school hallway with a friend reveals that a new teacher is taking advantage of her. Incredibly Alice (May 2011) – Second semester of senior year: Alice is having mixed feelings about going away for college and deals with a series of unexpected news and life events. Alice on Board (May 2012) – The summer before college: Alice and her friends get a job on a Chesapeake Bay cruise ship before going off to college, working as maids and waitresses. Now I'll Tell You Everything (October 2013) – Chronicles of Alice from age 18 to 60.
The Alice prequels Starting with Alice (September 1, 2002) – 3rd Grade: Alice tries to deal with being the new girl when she, her dad and Lester move after the store Alice's father works for transfers him to Takoma Park, Maryland. Alice in Blunderland (September 1, 2003) – 4th Grade: Alice feels as though she cannot escape her embarrassment. Lovingly Alice (September 1, 2004) – 5th Grade: Alice thinks that fifth grade is just one big joke.
Characters
Alice Kathleen McKinley (Long) is the protagonist and narrator of the series. She has strawberry blond hair, green eyes and freckles. She often refers to herself as an average girl during her pre-teen years and slowly builds up her confidence along the series through her various life journeys. Her mother, Marie, died of leukemia when she was five and Alice often feels as though she does not know how to "be a woman" due to the missing presence of a motherly figure. Her most prominent school activity is her stint as a roving reporter for her school newspaper in high school, The Edge, where she eventually got appointed as features editor during her final semester in junior year and all through senior year. Some of the other clubs/school activities that she has joined were the Earring club, Camera club, Drama club as a stage crew (she plays the main role in her senior year play as Anne in Cheaper by the Dozen), Gay/Straight Alliance and Student Jury. Alice wants to be a psychiatrist, psychologist or school counselor as mentioned in several books. She decides to be a school guidance counselor during her 11th grade and several experiences in her college years solidify commitment to counseling. She works as a school counselor in Montgomery County Middle School after attaining her master's and became supervisor for all the middle school counselors by her early thirties. In the final book of the series, Alice marries her long time boyfriend, Patrick, after they reunite in the airport. They have two children, Patricia Marie and Tyler. Benjamin McKinley is Alice's father and usually the person for Alice to turn to for advice. He works as a music instructor for the Melody Inn in Chicago and was promoted to manager of the Melody Inn in Silver Spring (the reason they move from Takoma Park). He believes in long/slow courtship and was portrayed as a "shy" kind of person up to college. He is torn by the death of his late wife but manages to find confidence to date again later on and marries Sylvia Summers, Alice's 7th grade English teacher. According to Sylvia, he is the kindest man that she has ever known, being truly considerate and patient to have waited for her when she went to England for a year and had to postpone the wedding when her sister fell sick. He died in his late eighties from a massive coronary and cremated by the family according to his wishes. Lester McKinley is Alice's brother. They have a seven-year age difference but Alice feels very close to him. He is considered very handsome and most of Alice's friends have a crush on him. He usually shies away from most of Alice's questions or answers them sarcastically. During most of the series, Lester is studying philosophy minoring in psychology, switching from a business major. He graduates with his master's degree in Alice in Charge on his 25th birthday. He works as an assistant director for the Basswood Lodge and Convention Center and then as a head personnel at George Mason University by the time he is 46. Lester has a number of girlfriends, having dated 14 girls by book number 5, All but Alice. He juggled two girlfriends (Crystal Harkins and Marilyn Rawley) for the first half of the series. He finally marries Stacy Houghton in the final book of the series and becomes a father to triplets at the age of 47. He calls the kids the "Tumultuous T".