The Grooming of Alice (Mass Market Paperback)

by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor (Author), Mark Elliott (Illustrator) "It's going to be one of the most exciting summers of our lives," Pamela used to tell Elizabeth and me whenever we thought about the..." (more)
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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
The summer between eighth and ninth grade is looming for Alice and her friends. "It's going to be one of the most exciting summers of our lives.... All the stupid things we've ever done will be behind us, and all the wonderful stuff will be waiting to happen." First things first. The girls decide it's time to get in shape. Elizabeth tells Alice her waist is a little thick and her legs are too straight. With friends like these...

They embark on a summer of discovery, with jobs, a sex-education seminar, and flirtation with an eating disorder. As Alice tests the waters of adolescence, her relationships with her father, brother, and friends are challenged. When her friend Pamela runs away from home--to Alice's house--Alice must decide where her loyalties and ethics lie. And when her father goes off to Europe, will the temptation of entertaining her boyfriend in the privacy of her home override her father's trust?

Practical, lively Alice has appeared in many of Phyllis Reynolds Naylor's other popular novels: Alice in Rapture, Sort Of, Alice on the Outside, and more. Her down-to-earth charm and quintessential adolescent ways will win her friends on and off the pages of the Alice series. From start to finish, readers will identify with Alice's hilarious, poignant, energetic exploits and be moved by Alice's growing maturity.

Serious issues--body image, death, sex--are balanced delightfully with more lighthearted teens-in-summer issues--makeup, grounding, first tampon use. By September, the girls have definitely had an exciting summer, but not necessarily in the way they had anticipated! (Ages 10 to 14) --Emilie Coulter --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From School Library Journal
Grade 6-9-Alice and her friends are determined to make the summer before high school the best one of their lives. Their main goal is to make their bodies perfect. However, as the summer goes on, the girls find out they have a lot of growing to do-and most of it is internal, not external. Pamela learns how to live with her father now that her mother has left the family. Elizabeth obsesses over her weight, and Alice tries to help her friends, as well as deal with the death of her former teacher, Mrs. Plotkin, and with her sexual feelings toward her boyfriend, Patrick. Naylor has created an engaging story with strong, three-dimensional characters. The issues the girls face are common among adolescents, and as they learn from their experiences, so will readers. The author includes candid information on topics such as sex, physical development in adolescence, and eating disorders in a way that makes it completely accessible to readers. Alice is a likable protagonist; fans of the series will enjoy this latest installment and newcomers will want to go back and read about her previous adventures.
Dina Sherman, Brooklyn Children's Museum, NY
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9-12
  
• Mass Market Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Aladdin (October 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0689846185
• ISBN-13: 978-0689846182
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.2 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #754,322 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars WOW WOW WOW, April 11, 2001

By	Sam (Houston, TX) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Grooming of Alice (Hardcover)

After reading the entire series, I got very stuborn with myself reading this one. Currently the last one in the series, I couldn't let go. I didn't want the series to finish so fast that I tried taking my time reading it. Silly me, I finished it in a day.

I am a teenage boy and i LOVED it. I think a girl would enjoy it even more. The age listed is not appropriate, however, as 9 year olds don't need to know some of the stuff that is said.

Many times, Alice can gross you out or make you cry. This one is truely the best in the series so far... Alice Alone should be great, too.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very realistic and as good as always, August 21, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Grooming of Alice (Hardcover)

Going through the period of time Alice and her friends are in The Grooming of Alice myself--the summer between 8th and 9th grade--I was startled by how well the book, in main theme at least, mirrored what for me is reality. As my friends and I have become increasingly self- and weight-concious, I have wrestled with a desire to be thin(ner) and a fear of anorexia or the like. The Grooming of Alice not only addressed this, it offered a sensible but not official solution as well as girls'

general fears about the normalcy of their bodies. In the same breath, it was funny as always and incorporated so many components of life, almost everyone should be able to find something to identify with. A few show-don't-tell lessons were a little too obvious, but, hey, this isn't meant to be Shakespeare. It's a good, easy, entertaining read about growing up a girl.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Possibly the best Alice book ever!, July 6, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Grooming of Alice (Hardcover)

I have read every Alice book and this has to be one of the most important and well written ones. Changes are everywhere for Alice and her family and friends- some bad, some good, and one incredible surprise! Once again it is filled with humor and touching moments. I couldn't put it down until I reached the end. I can't wait for the next installment. Things are really getting exciting in this series and I don't want to miss a beat!