the agony of alice by phyllis reynolds naylor

What emerges is a sympathetic and insightful look at the inner life of a preteen, teen, and adult that eschews melodrama and plot twists in favor of a matter-of-fact discussion of more universal rites of passage. The novels are episodic, focusing on moments of embarrassment and epiphany. To make sure that her novels were grounded in realism, Naylor used details from her own adolescence and remembered incidents from the lives of her friends and even her mother.

Over the course of more than 25 novels, the series follows Alice from sixth grade through her 20s, chronicling the trials and tribulations faced by this likable and relatable young woman. She lives with her husband (and first draft reader) Rex, in Gaithersburg, Maryland.The Agony of Alice (1987) is the first of the beloved children’s and young adult Alice book series by author Phyllis Reynolds Naylor. Naylor continues to put in a full six hours of writing every day and can’t imagine doing anything else (although she does have a passion for snorkeling…). Naylor taps into her own growing-up experiences to breathe life into the very popular Alice series. Naylor is also well-known for several successful series: Boys and Girls, Alice, and The Bessledorf mysteries.

The book won the Newbery Medal in 1991 and has been discovered - and cherished - by new generations of young readers.

Naylor is perhaps best known as the author of Shiloh, a story about a West Virginia boy and an abused dog. Naylor writes primarily for children and young adults - although she has published several books for adults, including How I Came to Be a Writer, a wry and very personal look at the ups and downs of one writer’s life. Naylor continued to write short stories and articles until she discovered a preference for the novel where she can really dig into the characters, narrative, and sense of place. This story, called Mike’s Hero, was published and Naylor received all of $4.67 for her work. When she was 16 years old, a Sunday school teacher asked her to write a story for the church magazine. These shared stories, from Mark Twain to Lewis Carroll, are among Naylor’s deepest and happiest memories - and inspired her to write her own short stories, beginning as a very young girl. Her parents shared theatrical read alouds with Naylor and her siblings every evening, well until her teen years. Phyllis Reynolds Naylor was born in 1933 in Anderson, Indiana, growing up during the Great Depression.

The agony of alice by phyllis reynolds naylor