00013757

Advance copy. ( )

Alice McKinley lost her mother when she was young, and is now moving with her dad and older brother to a new town, and a new school. She has a lot of troubles as "the new girl" in the third grade, mainly making friends. The book looks at various episodes in her year, dealing with typical third-grade issues: making friends, family troubles, strange neighbors, getting a pet, getting lost, etc.
Nothing deep here, but a nice fun story with a likable narrator.
There are over 25 Alice books in this series. Unlike most series, in which the main character stays about the same age, the Alice series traces Alice's life from third grade to graduating from college! I assume the reading level increases accordingly, but this is the first I've read, so I can't say for sure. ( )

I love the Alice series and have decided to reread them this summer. I didn't even realize until fairly recently that there are prequels! This book is adorable! I love that it is written for a younger reader in mind. Each chapter is fairly short and tells an experience that Alice has gone through. This book has a wonderful message about how it is much easier to be someone's friend than to be someone's enemy. I just think it is a fun, entertaining read even for adults. ( )

Eight-year-old Alice McKinley and her family (herself, her father and her older brother) have just moved from Chicago to Maryland, and now it’s time to start third grade in a new school where she doesn’t know anybody. Alice worries that she won’t have any friends, and she wishes that she had a mother to advise her on what to do. On the other hand, she doesn’t want her father to marry “on the rebound,” as her aunt told her before they left Chicago.

Naylor writes a cheerful, humorous story about family life, school and the anxieties of growing up that will appeal to fans of Ramona Quimby. ( )