Alice Next Door by Judi Curtain
Puffin, 2012. ISBN 978 14 330658 0.
Alice Again by Judi Curtain
Puffin, 2012. ISBN 978 0 14330659 7.
Alice in the middle by Judi Curtain
Puffin, 2012. ISBN 9780 14 330661 0.
(Ages: 10+) Recommended. Humour. Friendship. The first two books in
the series introduce the two girls Alice and Megan, [the bff's (best
friends forever)] in their last year at primary school in Limerick,
Ireland. The two girls are inseparable, living next door to each
other, but the news that Alice's newly separated mother is moving to
Dublin, taking her daughter with her, comes as a blow to the girls.
Alice hatches a plan for the two to stay together, involving her
staying hidden in Megan's bedroom. But things go awry when the girls
realise that staying hidden is not as easy as they think.
These stories will have strong appeal to middle to upper primary
girls, with their easily identified main characters, doing things
that are recognisable and involving. Megan and Alice have strong,
likable personalities and contrast each other in their likes and
dislikes. Each of the families is quite distinct and the aims of the
girls in staying best friends one that all readers will identify
with.
The second in the series, Alice Again, has the two girls
finding new friends in Limerick and Dublin and and so needing to do
some repair work when they next meet. Again the story is told
lightly with a deft touch of humour, but remaining true to the aims
o the stories in revealing the strength of friends and families. The
Alice and Megan series continues with Alice in the Middle,
where the two go to summer camp, hoping for a great time with weeks
of fun activities and a time apart form their families. But their
anticipation of spending time together is brought up sharply by the
attentions of a bully who aims to separate the girls. Touching on
issues relevant to girls in this age group, this the fourth book in
the series will have wide appeal.
The Irish setting makes this a pleasurable read as girls will
quickly find that some things are universal.
Fran Knight