Vendor
	Mohrbooks Literary Agency Sebastian Ritscher
Categories
Children’s, Teenage & Educational

ABSOLUTELY ALMOST

Lisa Graff

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.

Albie Schaffhauser has spent his whole life failing to live up to his parent's high expectations, but when he is removed from his elite Manhattan private school because of his unsatisfactory performance, things reach a new low. Worried that he simply isn't as smart as his peers, Albie struggles with making friends and fitting in at his new public school. In the vein of Wonder, Absolutely Almost is a novel about a boy with a learning disability who must find where he truly belongs.

Available products
Book Published 2014-06-01 by Philomel Books

Comments

Foreign sales: CharliBook/Korea and Pegasus/Turkey

Beautifully written ... A perfect book to share with younger readers.

Lisa Graff has written several books for middle grade readers, including the National Book Award nominee A Tangle of Knots. Graff has an uncanny ability to give a simple story an intensity that makes you want to keep turning the pages. In her latest offering, Absolutely Almost, 11-year-old Albie is struggling with the idea that he should be “better” than he is: better at math, better at spelling, better at being cool. We asked Graff a few questions about Albie, writing and fitting in. Read more...

chosen by Amazon to be featured as “Best Book of the Month” for June

*An NCTE Charlotte Huck Honor Book for Outstanding Fiction for Children * A Publisher’s Weekly Best Book of 2014 * An Amazon Best Book of 2014 * A BookPage Best Children’s Book of 2014 * An ALA Notable Children’s Book * A NYPL Top 100 Title for Reading and Sharing * A Junior Library Guild Selection * A Bank Street College Best Children’s Book of 2015 * A Goodreads Choice Awards nominee * A L.A. Times Summer Reading Pick * A Herald Sun Best Book of 2014 * A Capitol Choices Masterlist pick 2015-16 * A Dorothy Canfield Fisher Masterlist pick 2015-16 * A Georgia Children’s Book Award pick 2015-16 * A Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Masterlist pick 2015-16 * A Nene Award pick 2016 * A Rhode Island Children’s Book Award pick 2016 *

Lisa Graff also hit a number of “best of” lists for 2014 for Absolutely Almost (Philomel, 2014), including: · Amazon Best Books of the Month (June, Ages 9-12) · Amazon Best of the Year So Far (Ages 9-12) Top 20 · Amazon Best Books of 2014 (Ages 9-12) · PW Best of the Year · Goodreads Choice Awards Nominee (Middle Grade) · BookPage Best Children’s Books of 2014

Lately the patrons of my school library have been asking, “Do you have any books like Wonder by R.J. Palacio?” and now I have the perfect offering…. Graff almost won the National Book Award for A Tangle of Knots; here’s hoping she gets a big award soon. Like Albie, she deserves it. Read more...

I hope that kids that read WONDER last year get a chance to read ABSOLUTELY ALMOST this year.

Achingly superb, Albie’s story shines.

Stands out for its thoughtful, moving portrait of a boy who learns to keep moving forward, taking on the world at his own speed.

Graff is scrupulously honest.