Submitted by Aiden, Age 11 from New York
Rating: 
The main character is Albie he starts 5th grade and he’s almost smart enough to pass his spelling test so he’s almost of a kid like I almost did this I almost did that then it’s sad read to find out why it’s sad
Submitted by Dominique, Age 12 from New York
Rating:
The main character in the book Absolutely Almost is Albie Schaffhauser who’s actual name is Albin.This book talks about Albies life and all the challenges that he faces moving to a new school which is also were he gets bullied daily by Darren the popular kid and all his friends.On a scale of 1 to 10 I give this book a 10 !!!
In Absolutely Almost by Lisa Graff, the main character loves doughnuts. And if you know anything about me at all, then you know I’m a huge foodie. So I say: Ain’t nothin’ wrong with that!
But Albie, the book’s protagonist, wouldn’t agree with me. That’s because he wants to be more than he is, but he’s having a tough time getting there. He knows he’s not as quick with his schoolwork as other kids, he’s not particularly athletic or strong, and he’s definitely not popular.
Albie’s hopeful that he can change all of that when he starts a new school, but unfortunately, things don’t go as planned. Fortunately, Albie also has a new babysitter, Calista, who doesn’t mind breaking a few rules to support Albie however she can.
Not everyone will identify with Albie. I personally didn’t see myself in his character. But you’ll still feel for him and go through the ups and downs of his life with him. That’s what makes this such a good book!
I’d recommend this book for fans of Loser by Jerry Spinelli, There’s a Boy in the Girls’ Bathroom by Louis Sachar, and the Joey Pigza books by Jack Gantos.
Have you ever felt like you weren’t quite as cool, smart, or talented as your classmates? How did you deal with that? Leave a comment below.
— Karen
Karen is known for having a sweet tooth, just like Albie. But actually, if she had to choose between sweet and savory food for the rest of her life, she’d choose savory. But she’d be very, very mad at whoever forced her to make the choice!