Blog Entry #3: The Alice series

At first I was having quite a difficult time thinking about some favorite books that might be considered “pop literature” because most of the books I’ve read in the last few years have been purely academic texts or canonized literature for my classes. I guess I would rather initially read for academic purposes –although often when I am assigned to read a particular book, I end up truly enjoying the book enough to read others like it in my spare time. However, after reading Meg Cabot’s essay about Blubber by Judy Blume (a great book by the way); I was reminded of several similar books I used to read for fun, guidance, and inspiration as a young adolescent. One series of books which particularly intrigued me was the Alice series by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor. I believe it could be considered “pop” of the female young adult (or adolescent/teen) genre. I was drawn to the books during my 6th grade year when a friend of mine, Sara, told me they were a must-read. I was surprised to hear she had apparently used the books to figure out how to deal with some of her personal problems. The series follows the growth of main character Alice McKinley who lives with her father and older brother in Maryland. There are currently 20 books total in the series and also 3 series’ prequels. In each new book, Alice is slightly older and she must face the many different complications of her middle and high school years. This can be especially hard at times because Alice has no mother figure in her life. I have not read all of the books, but I have read enough to gain an appreciation for Naylor’s writing and her dedication to the character. Alice is portrayed in a relatable way; she has all of the same worries, thoughts, and embarrassments that seem so abnormal to any perfectly normal adolescent girl. She is not depicted as invincible or heroic, but instead as a real girl who has no choice but to face life’s many obstacles (often times alone). I wouldn’t classify the Alice series as “literary” in the academic/canonized sense because I feel Naylor has a very specific aim in writing these books-she attempts to reach out to young girls, wanting them to know they are not alone. She probably also hopes Alice’s stories will comfort them during a time in their lives of total unsettlement. These are the type of books that would be best read leisurely on a girl’s tear-filled, sleepless nights and not in cramped desk as part of the mid-semester curriculum.