Author Phyllis Reynolds Naylor has written over 130 books for kids, teens, and adults including the 1992 Newbery award winning Shiloh, and….
She’s coming to Beaverton!
Powell’s Books at Cedar Hills Crossing this Friday (10/25) at 7:00 pm!
Here’s why I’m so excited:
My older sister used to pick out books from the library for me to read, and when I was in 5th or 6th grade she brought home Alice the Brave by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor. I had never read anything like it before. Here was a main character who thought about the same things I did, who had fears and learned to conquer them, asked questions of her father and brother I would never think of saying out-loud, made mistakes, faced consequences, and was just a completely relatable character. I probably read that book 3 times in one weekend.
It wasn’t until I was working in the public library when I got to college that I discovered Alice the Brave is part of a series, and oh boy, what a series it is. In 27 books Alice grows from a timid 3rd grader up to a high school graduate through the struggles, turmoil, fears, grief, joy, and excitement that comes with that time. Many of these books have been challenged or even banned in schools and libraries for their honest depiction of teen life, and head-on dealings with very real problems.
The final book the Alice McKinley series Now I’ll Tell You Everything came out last week. True to its title, we hear EVERYTHING from where the last book left us with Alice packing her bags for college all the way through bad roommates, great friends, failed relationships, travels, careers, weddings, marriage, kids, and even grandchildren. Just about all the loose ends are tied up with bows of laughter, tears, and memories of the past 28 books.
And now I can tie up the loose end “what will Alice do next?” that has been a part of my life for more than 15 years. And I get to tie it up in style with the author herself.
This Friday, October 25, 2013 at 7:00pm at the Powell’s Books at Cedar Hills Crossing.
I hope to see you there, too!
- Jennifer Wolf
