Families who loved The Agony of Alice by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor often look for books with a similar feel. These 20 recommendations were selected for their similarity in style, theme, and reading level.
Reach for this book when your child is suffering from the acute embarrassment that defines the preteen years or when they feel they lack a feminine roadmap for growing up. Alice McKinley is a motherless sixth grader who is convinced she is the only person on earth who consistently makes a fool of herself. In her quest to find a perfect, beautiful role model to help her navigate puberty and social graces, she finds herself assigned to the classroom of a teacher she considers plain and uninspiring. The story gently explores themes of self-worth, the fallacy of perfection, and the realization that a person's value lies in their character rather than their appearance. It is a compassionate and often hilarious look at the awkward transition into middle school that helps children see that even their most cringeworthy moments are a normal part of being human.