When twelve-year-old Penny Robbins' beloved father dies, her seventh-grade year is marked by sadness and pain. Her mother Janice and her close friends — Travis, Mandy, Brianna, Jana, and Elias — try to help her cope with the loss, but Penny keeps searching for something worthwhile in her life. She keeps searching for what she calls "the best." It seems like all the kids at school have a best: a best friend, a best parent, a best house or car, a best vacation, even a best pet. Penny thinks ...