Nothing's going right for Laura. Her friend Molly has moved to Kansas for a year. And her other "Friends 4-Ever," Stevie and Meg, are in a different class and go to soccer practice after school. Laura doesn't play soccer. Worse still, since her mother's gone back to work, Laura has to go to the After-School Program every day with all the little kids.
Then Laura becomes friends with Shana, a new girl who feels the same way Laura does about the After-School Program. Laura tries to tell Meg and Stevie how nice Shana is, but all they do is make fun of Shana's spiky hair and wild earrings. So Laura seeks advice from Molly. With Molly's help, can Laura convince her old friends to accept her new friend?
Laura is having a hard time adjusting to Molly being gone, and her mom is working more hours and leaving her in an after-school program instead of letting her watch herself. Stevie and Meg have soccer practice to bond over, and left alone with the "little kids", Laura finds friendship with another after-school program kid, Shana. Shana has spiky hair, dresses differently, and the other Friends-4-Ever unkindly go out of their way to make fun of her.
Laura has to figure out how to show her friends how cool Shana really is and turns to Molly for some great pen pal advice.
These kids are in 4th grade, or else I'd say they have some serious issues about talking to each other.