Absolutely Almost, Lisa Graff. Albie is a fifth grader in a new school because his parents felt he needed a fresh start, but he is no longer at the same school as his best friend, Erlan, who lives down the hall in their apartment building. In his first day of school, he sits next to Betsy who likes bugs; however, she is bullied because of her stutter. Albie is an ordinary, average boy who never quite measures up to be who the adults around him want him to be, or at least, in his mind. His parents insist on him having a "babysitter" to watch out for him until they get home from work. But Calista, a young twenty-something girl, wins over his heart. She loves to sketch and they spend time sketching, reviewing spelling words, visiting museums, and  to the donut shop. One day when they meet up with Darren, the "cool" kid in school and his father playing basketball, Darren warms up to Albie. Yet, Calista warns him to be careful and rightfully so. Darren hopes to cozy up to Erlan, who is one of triplets, along with his triplet sisters, and their reality tv show. Darren initiates Albie into the "cool" club and the first thing he has to do is ditch Betsy, the stutterer. Along with losing the red gummy bears that she always gave him, he loses her as a friend, even when he realizes he was duped by Darren.

One day, everything is just plain going wrong. His mother sends in two dozen beautiful mini cupcakes for his birthday, forgetting that there is an egg allergy in the classroom, making cupcakes not allowed. Darren is asked to take them to the kitchen and when Albie goes to pick them up at the end of the day, there is a thumbprint in each and every cupcake. He doesn't understand why he is no longer "cool" and Betsy ignores him. When he finally shares his thoughts with Calista, she decides he needs a sad day and they spend it at the zoo where they see a python completely inhale a pig. When his mom finds out about Calista's stunt, she is let go, despite Albie's protests.

Lisa Graff is the author of A Tangle of Knots (look for a review within this blog) and she firmly grasps the hardships of young minds needing reassurance. Albie is an innocent boy, one with a kind heart who means well. He makes mistakes, learns lessons, and moves on. With short, easy to bite chapters, this will be a sure win with readers, young and old.