While fighting a losing battle with needlepoint, bangs, and physical nonconformity, Al finds her life further complicated by her father's first visit in years.
Her best friend's family helps cushion the blow when Al must sacrifice a summer visit to her father's farm in order to take care of her sick mother in New York City.
A seventh-grade girl, her slightly fat girl friend, Al, and the assistant superintendent of their apartment building form a mutually needed friendship with the usual--and a few unusual--joys and sorrows.