Many of us think of her as a writer for upper elementary kids, but one of her latest books is a good picture book for very young children, Ducks Disappearing (Atheneum, 1997 ISBN 0689319029. Her books are often uplifting but never oversimplified and we don't get the feeling that she sneaked in a sermon.Īll that makes her amazing enough but then you must add in the range of her books. There is usually an ethical crisis and her main characters evolve believably. The topics too, vary widely: religion, mental illness, teenage rebellion, coping with divorce and death, facing one's fears and adult imperfections, as well as determining right and wrong, are just some of the dilemmas characters face in her books. Having raised two sons may have helped her to present believable male as well as female protagonists. She's a fine storyteller and her memory for what it's like to be young is readily apparent in her work. Most of her characters face moral dilemmas and her resolutions are not pat or overly predictable. She builds tension well, sometimes with cliff-hangers and foreshadowing. Many of the books are laugh-out-loud funny. Each book can and does stand independently - even those in series - and she is seldom content with just telling us a story. We all know the names of several prolific authors, particularly authors of series books, and Phyllis is, among other things, a series writer, but her books are, almost without exception, very good indeed. Since she writes a new book for her Alice series every year, it's safe to assume one of those is in the works as well. A look at Amazon Books' website shows that Phyllis has one book just out, Danny's Desert Rats (Atheneum), three Naylor books not yet available, but finished and waiting in the wings: a picture book, Sweet Strawberries (Atheneum), Sang Spell, a fantasy (Atheneum), and The Girls' Revenge (Delacorte). In fact, while you and I have been thinking that we might have an idea for a kids' novel, Phyllis Naylor has probably outlined three, revised two and sent three more in to the editor. To say that Phyllis Reynolds Naylor is a prolific author is a vast understatement.

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