From Alice to Zen and Everyone in Between

Elizabeth Atkinson

Jan 2008 · Carolrhoda Books

About this ebook

Alice enjoys playing soccer and working on her go-kart. But when she moves to the suburbs, Zen, the boy down the street tells her she has no hope of fitting in at her new middle school unless she starts acting more "like a girl." Alice suddenly realizes that being different can set you apart...and being friends with someone like Zen can set you way apart. Why does being yourself have to be so complicated?

Ratings and reviews

Moving to another town right before middle school can be very scary - but also exciting. Alice has moved from a cramped little apartment in Boston to a 3,500-square-foot house in the suburbs. Alice's mom works as a vice-president in marketing at a publishing house in Boston while her father is a stay-at-home dad who buys old stuff at yard sales or from the newspapers and then sells them for a lot more on the Internet. In fact, that is how they got the new house. Alice is hoping that the rest of the houses near her will have a BFF for her, but when that doesn't come to fruition she goes searching for a friend before school starts. She then meets Zeninthal Stevie Wonder Malinowski, aka Zen. He is an odd boy and he gives Alice advice on how to be popular in middle school, which goes against everything that is Alice. How she defines herself and learns about what is important in life makes a fascinating read. I enjoyed this novel a lot. It was fast-moving and fun to read. I loved the characters. Alice is a very normal sixth-grader and her family is loving and understanding. Zen, though, is very odd, but since my daughter went to a performing arts school I knew he was real and not just a character. I have met many kids who do not fit into middle school or even high school society, and Zen is one of those. The lesson of not being afraid to be yourself is done well and I recommend this to all middle schoolers.

About the author

Elizabeth Atkinson has been an editor, a children's librarian, an English teacher, and a newspaper columnist. She lives in Newburyport, MA. Visit her at www.elizabethatkinson.com.