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    Absolutely Almost
    Absolutely Almost
    Absolutely Almost
    Audiobook5 hours

    Absolutely Almost

    Written by Lisa Graff

    Narrated by Noah Galvin

    4/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    Albie has never been the smartest kid in his class. He has never been the tallest. Or the best at gym. Or the greatest artist. Or the most musical. In fact, Albie has a long list of the things he's not very good at. And his parents keep reminding him of those things all the time. . . even when it's just by accident. But then Albie gets a new babysitter, Calista, who helps him figure out all of the things he *is* good at and how he can take pride in himself. A perfect companion to Lisa Graff's A TANGLE OF KNOTS, this novel explores a similar theme in a realistic contemporary world where kids will easily be able to relate their own struggles to Albie's. Once again, Graff crafts a beautiful novel about figuring out who you are and doing what you love.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherRecorded Books, Inc.
    Release dateJun 12, 2014
    ISBN9781490624839
    Absolutely Almost
    Author

    Lisa Graff

    Lisa Graff is the author of several middle-grade novels, including A Tangle of Knots, which was long-listed for the National Book Award. Her first picture book was It Is Not Time for Sleeping, illustrated by Caldecott-Honor recipient Lauren Castillo, and her two forthcoming picture books are Wonderful You, illustrated by Ramona Kaulitzki, and Mr. Walker Steps Out, illustrated by Christophe Jacques. She lives with her family in Pennsylvania. www.lisagraff.com, Twitter: @lisagraff

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    Reviews for Absolutely Almost

    4/5

    106 ratings16 reviews

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    • 5/5
      wonderful! (and the main character likes donuts- awesome!)
    • 4/5
      Children's fiction/realistic fiction. Albie struggles in school and is picked on by his classmates (incidentally, he's also half-Korean and has a Kazakh friend, but the book is not about diversity). He may not be the smartest boy, but he does know about kindness, and fortunately he has several people who care about him. #everydaydiversity
    • 3/5
      Albie is like so many kids in our society today, there are many who will identify with this rather quirky character.
    • 4/5
      Recommended for 3-5 graders.
    • 4/5
      Albie is kind, but at school he kind of struggles. His parents are a little absent. His best friend is going to move. He wants to be cool - but he doesn't always get how those things works. A touching story about a kid trying to forge his way.
    • 3/5
      Albie is going to be starting 5th grade at a new school. He isn't quite sure why he's being transferred from his expensive private school to a New York City public school, but it has something to do with a letter from his old school that really upset his parents. Albie has always struggled in school. He's a kind, gentle soul. But being a nice kid isn't getting Albie anywhere with his peers, or improving his grades.... At his new school he once again struggles to fit in, and ends up being constantly teased by Darren who is one of the cool kids. He doesn't tell his parents because they're so busy with work that they don't pay much attention to him (except for when he disappoints them by reading baby books or not getting 100% on his spelling test). Luckily there's Calista - the new babysitter his parents have hired to watch him after school until they get home from work. Calista is a free spirit - and she understands Albie like no adult ever has. Calista makes things better for a while. The story makes the reader reminisce about their own childhood and what a struggle it could be, especially when no one seemed to understand.
      Short chapters and lots of white space make this book appropriate for both good and struggling readers in grades 4-6.
    • 3/5
      This is a touching story about a boy trying to fit in, and trying to figure out his own self-worth, and about how the people in his life affect him (good and bad). Unfortunately, what happens in this book is sad and very realistic, but it also shows how resilient people are. Recommended to: This Sunshine State nominated book is good for readers in grade 3 and up who enjoy stories about school and friendships.
    • 3/5
      Absolutely Almost is about Albie. It's about watching Albie grow, change and adapt. There's no real overarching plot, the book is entirely character driven, and that's okay because the characters are all pretty awesome. I loved Callista and how upbeat and fun she was. I loved Albie's empathy and kindness. I loved Betsy's understated ability to just be. There's lots of good advice and lots of things for any reader to relate to. It would be an especially good read for kids that feel like they don't excel at anything, to let them know there are others like them and that it's okay to be that way.
    • 4/5
      haven't been surprised by a book in a while, but Lisa Graff's new novel, Absolutely Almost, got me. I ADORED this book! It's a heart-wrenching story of a boy who struggles in school, with bullies and in making friends. It's a story of a young boy who desperately wants to find the thing that makes him special. As kids, we all feel 'stupid' at something. We all experience moments of feeling not good enough or worry about letting our parents down. Absolutely Almost shows readers that in spite of our own weaknesses, we all are our special in our own way, we just have to look past the bad to see the good!Absolutely Almost is a great choice for middle grade classrooms to discuss character traits like self-confidence and self-acceptance. I'm not really a fan of the cover. I think it's soft and skews toward boy readers, but the story will appeal to everyone.A great example of why you shouldn't judge a book by it's cover! Absolutely Almost is a beautiful, wonderful story of an almost average boy who has always been absolutely perfect in his own way.
    • 4/5
      Ten-year-old Albie has never been the smartest, tallest, best at gym, greatest artist, or most musical in his class, as his parents keep reminding him, but new nanny Calista helps him uncover his strengths and take pride in himself.
    • 3/5
      I mildly enjoyed this book. I didn't find it spectacular, but I didn't hate it. Which means it will probably win the Newbery Award this year. Some reviewers were comparing it to Wonder , but I vehemently disagree with them. It didn't come anywhere near having the emotional impact on me that that book did. I agree more with the reviewer who said, "This is an absolutely almost good book". But hopefully it will speak to middle grade students who have struggled.
    • 4/5
      Albie's never going to be the smartest kid in his class -- he struggles with stuff that seems to come easily to some of his peers, and feels like he's only almost doing a good-enough job. But several new developments in his life, including an artsy new nanny and a math club at school, help Albie find his own way of absolutely standing out.This is a sweet and touching story and will be appreciated by readers who enjoy realistic fiction about kids overcoming their circumstances.
    • 4/5
      This story is at times heart-wrenching and at others times tender. This is an honest portrayal of a young boy struggling in school, struggling with friends, and struggling to make his parents understand that it's ok to be almost good at school because there are other more important wways to be measured.
    • 4/5
      Life isn’t fair.Albie is a really nice kid, but he’s not good at anything. He has a terrible time reading and reads below his grade level, but he loves Captain Underpants, which his mom tells him is for babies. His best friend, Erlan, is really smart and is part of a triplet. Erlan’s sisters are also triplets. Because they have two sets of triplets, his family gets their own reality show. Albie thinks this will be fun, but soon learns it limits their time together. Albie also has to attend a new school because he got kicked out of his old one for not being smart enough. He meets Betsy who stutters and they become good friends. He’s also in Math Club, which he finds he really likes. Of course Albie is bullied at school, which keeps him from really liking the new school.Albie’s parents can’t be home much, so they hire a nanny who has moved from California to New York to attend art school and needs a job. Calista is fabulous. She helps Albie enjoy life. She teaches Albie how to draw and how to handle a sad day. This is a really sweet novel showing that kindness matters.
    • 4/5
      Graff does a great job portraying middle school life. Students will relate to the problems Albie encounters at school and at home. Albie's parents don't know how to help him, and don't fully understand why he struggles so much at school. Albie gains confidence through the support of his friends, teacher, and babysitter/nanny. Life isn't easy for Albie, but he learns to persevere and keep trying. A great book for fifth and sixth grade students who are trying to juggle social issues at school and expectations of parents.
    • 3/5
      OK in the middle school way. May be good for those who are struggling though there is no real reason given for his struggles with school. Korean Mom with the Tiger Grandpa, success oriented Dad who actually gets told off (in a nice way) by the son in the end. Nanny encouraged lieing but otherwise was a good influence.