Alice in Rapture, Sort Of (Alice #2) by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

Title: Alice in Rapture, Sort Of
Author: Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
Published: First published in 1989
Pages: 144
ISBN: 9780743450461
Source: Library

Description:  The summer of the first boyfriend
That's what Alice's father calls the summer before Alice starts junior high. And because Pamela's cousin from New Jersey says starting seventh grade without a boyfriend is the worst thing that can happen to a girl (even worse than not having pierced ears or a leather skirt), Alice is grateful that she's got Patrick.   The trouble is, Patrick the boyfriend is a lot more complicated than Patrick the friend. What's an appropriate present for Alice to give Patrick for his birthday? What should she do if Patrick wants to kiss her and she hasn't just brushed her teeth? Alice really likes Patrick, but sometimes she thinks life would be a lot simpler if they were still just friends.

I Give This Book 4 Stars!

I picked this book for my 2009 banned or challenged books challenge.  I noticed that the Alice series as a whole is frequently challenged.  Since my library did not have the first in the series, I choose the second one.  I was completely impressed with this book and intend to read the rest of the series.  I wish I had known about these books in my preteen years.  I though Alice was a wonderful character.  While, the parts of the story were a bit outdated, I thought the dilemma's faced were very real.  It was fun and lighthearted at times, but the message portrayed was very thoughtful.  I'm hoping these stay in print so that my daughters can read them when they are older.