DEAD WEDNESDAY by Jerry Spinelli

primarily marketed for: middle grades

I have been a fan of Jerry Spinelli's work for a long time, and Dead Wednesday did not disappoint. The narrative style in this one struck as me being similar to Loser, but not just because of the third-person point of view. The protagonist of Dead Wednesday, Worm Tarnauer, will tug at your heartstrings the same Zinkoff did in Loser.

Dead Wednesday is a tradition the whole town gets behind in an attempt to help 8th graders avoid potentially fatal decisions as they head into their high school years. Each 8th grader is assigned the name of a local teen who passed away due to avoidable reasons (mostly accidents involving risky behavior). Students were black t-shirts and are ignored by others for the day to encourage quiet reflection. However, for most 8th graders being ignored by adults is more of an invitation to act out than to turn inward.

Worm approaches the day expecting to celebrate his freedom in the comfort of his best friend's shadow. That is until Becca Finch, the dead teen whose name he was assigned, takes over his day, determined to show him how not to miss truly living another minute of his life. During their day together, Worm begins to realize how much the world has to offer, and maybe, just maybe, how much he has to offer the world.

This will be a definite addition to my classroom library. Thanks to Random House Children's Publisher and NetGalley for a free, temporary digital review copy of the book.

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