It follows the exploits of eleven-year-old Alexander as he experiences the most terrible and horrible day of his young life, a day that begins with gum stuck in his hair, followed by one calamity after another. But when Alexander tells his upbeat family about the misadventures of his disastrous day, he finds little sympathy and begins to wonder if bad things only happen to him.

"On a day when everything goes wrong for him, Alexander is consoled by the thought that other people have bad days too." --

Poor Alexander! He woke up with gum in his hair; his mom forgot to put dessert in his lunch bag; there were lima beans for dinner, and kissing on TV--even the cat refuses to sleep in his bed. Some days are just like that. Alexander's awful day is the perfect lead-off for this collection of funny, touching stories about the ups and downs of childhood--from imaginary monsters to saying goodbye to a family pet. Judith Viorst's insightful and humorous...

On a day when everything goes wrong for him, Alexander is consoled by the thought that other people have bad days too.