Almost Alice

In this twentieth book in the Alice young adult series, Alice starts to wonder if she's giving more attention to her friends than she's getting in return. Is it possible to be too good a friend—too understanding, too always there, too much, well, like a doormat? Alice has always been a perfect friend to Pamela and Elizabeth, but now she's wondering where that leaves her—is she just a mother hen, an ear for listening, an arm around the shoulder? The truth is, Alice is getting a little envious of all the attention her friends need and get from her, and that's turning her into something she's never been before—a jealous, petty, not-so-perfect best friend. But sometimes friends need you more than they let on…especially when the unthinkable happens.

Phyllis Reynolds Naylor has written more than 135 books, including the Newbery Award-winning Shiloh and its sequels, three of which were made into movies; the Alice series; Roxie and the Hooligans; and Roxie and the Hooligans at Buzzard's Roost. She lives in Gaithersburg, Maryland. To hear from Phyllis and find out more about Alice, visit AliceMcKinley.com.