SOLVED. Middle Grade fiction. Main character Alice ran away from home looking for her dad. Set in Hemel Hempstead UK. Bought when I was about 10 from Scholastic book fair. Read 1996-2000.

[Jemma Frost]

I cannot find this book anywhere and vaguely remember the title having the word 'Still' in it, like 'Still Gone' or 'Still here' but extensive googling brings me nowhere. I was about 10 years old and it was a preteen aimed book set in Hemel Hempstead featuring a girl called Alice who ran away from home looking for her dad. Its plagued me for years and I'd love to know what it's called so i can find and re read it.

[Arielle]

I asked Gemini to help; it was sadly not very useful. It suggested https://www.amazon.com/Runaway-Nickel..., which has a girl named Alice who runs away, but she's an orphan and the book is from the 1950s.

Will keep looking.

[Rainbowheart]

Was the main character a teenager or a younger child?

How sure are you that her name was Alice?

There's a runaway Alys in Silver Rose, but it's not set in modern times. Pagans also has a historical Alice, but I don't see anything about running away.

[Jemma Frost]

I am 100% certain she was called Alice. I can't remember for certain but I think the character Alice was probably meant to be a young teen, maybe 12, 13 years old.

[Jemma Frost]

I remember buying it at a school book fair (UK) when I was at primary school, maybe year 5 or 6 so 1997, 1998, early 1999 as I started secondary in September 1999.

I am NOT certain that the word still is in the title but something is niggling in the back of my mind that it was. The title definitely had only two words. The front cover was like watercolour painting of the girl, with blond hair.

I've tried looking for archives of books sold at book fairs in the 90s but not finding anything at all.

[Becca]

It might be worth browsing this list in case you recognise the title / cover / author name here - Runaways in YA and Middle Grade Fiction. I'll keep looking as well.

[bookel]

List to check.
Runaways -- children's/young adult fiction
https://www.librarything.com/list/102...#

[bookel]

Details do not match.
I'm Still Me
Betty Jean Liftonhttps://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...

[Rainbowheart]

You have a lot of good details! That precise time frame and the fact that you know it was set in England are very helpful.

Still looking on my end. Wanted! has a runaway Alice, but unfortunately it's not set in the UK.

Do you remember what happened to the girl's father? Had he gone missing? Had he abandoned the family?

[Jemma Frost]

I can't remember exactly but I think it was just parent separation but can't remember any details about why he didn't maintain contact with his child, the main character.

[Jemma Frost]

I remember that she had left in the night with a Backpack and gone to find him and her mum reported her missing but the story followed her as she went to find him and I can't even remember if she did find him or not. Weird how my brain remembers silly details but not the entire premise of the story.

[Jemma Frost]

Solved!!!

Worlds Apart by Jill Murphy.

I refuse to believe she was called Susan though. I was certain she was called Alice.

[Rainbowheart]

Oh, awesome, glad you found it!

Worlds Apart for the link.