A month before eighth grade begins, Alice realizes she is going to have to face something she's been afraid of forever. Everybody, she knows, is afraid of something: elevators, dogs, planes, spiders . . . but her fear is worse. It's going to bring absolute disaster to the rest of her summer, maybe to the rest of her life. The truth is she's afraid of deep water! It's a hot August, and everyone in Alice's gang goes to Mark Stedmeister's swimming pool almost every day. Alice sits at the shallow end. She plays badminton. She makes excuses, and keeps her problem secret. Meanwhile, Elizabeth and Pamela, Alice's two best friends, tackle problems of their own, and are more or less successful. Life is changing for everyone but Alice. Bravery begins in little ways, with small steps. That's what Alice finally discovers. And after she faces this particular fear, she knows she can summon the courage to face other fears as well. As in her previous adventures, Alice tackles some of the big problems of growing up with humor and enterprise and learns once again that a brother, a father, and friends can offer amazing amounts of help.

During the summer between eighth and ninth grades, Alice and her friends Pamela and Elizabeth decide to improve themselves through exercise.

Women are essential to the biblical story--they bear life, lead communities, and testify to God's power and presence. Some of their names we know, others we've only heard, and others, tragically, go unnamed. Following the success of her beloved book Fierce, pastor and provocateur Alice Connor introduces us to a whole new group of women from the Bible, including Rachel, Leah, Miriam, Esther, and Lydia. Connor invites us to see them not as players in a man's story--as victims or tempters--nor as solely morality archetypes who teach women to be better wives and mothers--but as brave foremothers of the faith. Skillfully drawn by the author, these women's stories are messy, challenging, and beautiful. When we read their stories, we can see not only their particular, formidable lives but also our own.

Alice must choose between Patrick and Sam in this beloved series. How can someone be in love with two people at the same time? It doesn't make sense to Alice—until Sam, her friend from Camera Club, starts to pay attention to her. Sam is quiet, gentle, and a terrific dancer, and Alice likes being with him. But Alice has been Patrick’s girlfriend for almost two years—so why is she interested in another guy? As Alice stumbles her way through the minefield of early adolescence, there are plenty of bumps, giggles, and surprises along the way. Every girl should grow up with Alice, and with this irresistible new look, a whole new generation will want to.

While trying to survive seventh grade, Alice discovers that turning thirteen will make her the Woman of the House at home, so she starts a campaign to get more appreciated for taking care of her father and older brother.

Seeking one last adventure before going off to college, Alice and her friends find summer employment on a Chesapeake Bay cruise ship.

Its the summer before her junior year, and Alice is looking forward to a few months of excitement, passion, and drama. What she finds are more "real life" problems than she could have ever imagined.