Alice-by-Accident [Paperback]

Lynne Reid Banks (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 18, 2002 | Age Level: 8 and up | Grade Level: 3 and up

"It's just so stupid, Brandy asking us to write our lives for homework!

I remember enough things on my life to keep me writing for about a million hours."

As Alice struggles with her class assignment for Miss Brand, she discovers that she has even more to say about her life than she thought. Most of it's too private to write for school, so she decides to record her autobiography in a secret notebook. There she writes about the mess between her mother, a "professional single parent," her actress grandmother, who "loves her to distraxion," but keeps interfering and having rows with her mum, and a dad she's never seen.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Writing convincingly in a young person's voice poses a huge challenge even to an experienced author like Lynne Reid Banks (The Indian in the Cupboard and others)--probably second only to writing in authentic-sounding dialect. Banks manages to do both brilliantly in the public and private notes of almost-10-year-old Alice Elizabeth Williamson-Stone, a sensitive, quirky British girl being raised by her struggling single mom. Alice dutifully reports her name in the first line of the book as part of an autobiography in her School Notebook, which continues throughout. But we soon learn that much of the turmoil in her world revolves around that name's origins. In her private Special Notebook, Alice later describes meeting her grandmother Gene at the age of three: "She rang Mum (in Brighton this was) and they had a row straight off because Williamson-Stone is on my birth certificate.... Gene said I had no right to that name because Mum wasn't married to my dad and she said Mum'd stolen it. Of course that's stupid, you can't steal a name... she could've called me Alice Pokémon or Alice Peanut Butter Sandwich." Alice's strong accent and idiosyncratic language can be a bit off-putting until you get to know her, but patience pays off, and the contrast makes her recounting of The Simpsons and Oprah Winfreythat much better.

Pulled between loving but strong-willed parental figures with their own complicated histories (and she hasn't even met her dad yet), Alice must find her way despite a rocky home life, an unexpected and emotional move, and the usual demands of a difficult age. But she shines through it all as a stalwart, likable, and--most importantly for middle-school readers--believable heroine. (Ages 9 and 12) --Paul Hughes --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Publishers Weekly

"Banks serves up an unconventional, bittersweet slice of life, lightened with casual humor, concerning nine-year-old Alice (who came to her single mother 'by accident')," said PW in a starred review. "An intimate, gratifying read." Ages 8-12. (June)
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins (June 18, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0380815605
• ISBN-13: 978-0380815609
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5.3 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.5 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,439,632 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Lynne Reid Banks is a best-selling author for children and adults. Her classic children's novel 'The Indian in the Cupboard' has sold nearly six million copies worldwide. She was born in London in 1929 and worked as an actress, writer and TV news reporter. Lynne has written thirty books: her first, 'The L-Shaped Room', was published in 1960. She now lives in Dorset, where she continues to write. Lynne says that writing for children comes much more easily than writing for adults. Tony Ross was born in London in 1938. He has worked as an art director at an advertising agency, a graphic designer, a cartoonist, a teacher, a film maker and as a Senior Lecturer in Art at Manchester Polytechnic.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Alice-By-Accident, June 7, 2000

By 

Xeneri - See all my reviews

This review is from: Alice-by-Accident (Avon Camelot Books) (Hardcover)

Alice Elizabeth Williamson-Stone is the nine-and-a-half-year-old voice of her generation. Asked to write an autobiography in her School Notebook, she records much of the turmoil of her young life: being raised by her struggling single mom, never having met her father, and coping with the plit between her mom and Gene, her paternal grandmother . Gene doesn't approve of the fact that Alice's mom and dad never married and now are asked to move out of Gene's house because Alice's father and his new wife need it. alice's loyalties are torn between her mom and grandmom and she struggles to comprehend adult relationships and her place in the world. But the book rings true to the voices of 10 year olds everywhere. Alice is sensitive, quirky British girl and is a likeable believable herioine.

Though I liked the book, the writing style is a little overly complex for a children's book...it goes back and forth from Alice's journal entries to a replay of past events which can make it a bit confusing at times. American readers may at first be put off by the british dialogue and the style of writing (deliberately infused with grammatical and spelling errors, or, as Alice puts it, her "an ilustrated ortobiography"), but the book is both lively and insightful as is Alive herself. A great book for all, especially kids who live in single parent households.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars wellons, September 28, 2005

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Alice-by-Accident (Paperback)

Have you ever felt like your mom did'nt plan you? Try going to your closest library and get the book Alice-By-Accident.She felt the same way.

This book is amazing she went step by step telling her story when she was born her father left her mom so when she got older she wonder where was her father.Her mom told her he left and told her she had her on accident she didn't know what that meanso when she went to school on her announment the principal said that a little was hit by a car.The teacher said that was an accident so she thought that was a bad thing.She went home and told her mom about it and she told her the story.

I really enjoy this book hope you will!

5.0 out of 5 stars alice by accident, March 21, 2009

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Alice-By-Accident (Paperback)

alice by accident is a great book.It was a great way to see a girl around my age live sortive like me in this world.the book was so good i couldn't get my hands off it.