Worm by nickname and worm by nature – wanting to be out of sight, watching, and listening – Robbie Tarnauer has been labelled shy by his mother. Apparently when he was little he was the opposite, but now Worm is content to be in the background.

He’s amazed that the popular kid in school is his best friend. Eddie is liked by girls and guys in their eighth grade at school, and Worm is accepted along with him. School is usually something to be endured but something special has finally arrived. So special, every kid in school looks forward to it for years before.

It is Dead Wednesday. This is a day in eighth grade (Year 9 in NZ) where you don’t exist. You will be given a black shirt. You will be given the picture and details of a teenager that has died in a preventable way (drugs, alcohol, car accident) over the past year. Dead Wednesday is to impress upon young teens at Worm’s school to make good choices and decisions.

At least that’s what the parents and teachers say. Any self respecting 14 year old sees Dead Wednesday as a free ride to what-ever-they-feel-like-doing day. The teachers will ignore you like you don’t exist, so that means walking out of class, dancing on your desk. Dancing on the teacher’s desk if you like – is all doable without repercussions.

Dead Wednesday for Worm isn’t quite what he planned or expected. In fact the entire day is spent with someone he’s never met, doing things he would never normally do. She is a ghost. Mad at herself and just the person Worm needs right now.

Dead Wednesday is another Jerry Spinelli gem, taking the reader on a young teen’s personal journey, with the help of a girl ghost – or ‘spectral maiden’ as she prefers to be called.

Spinelli’s writing is superb as always, in a story set mostly over a day. Each short chapter begins with a time-stamp, drawing you into the intricacies of the main character’s actions, texts and thoughts, getting to know him along the way.

Sometimes the last person you expect will be just the person who will change your life.

Beautiful.

(Note: This is sold as Middle-Grade, but like this author’s Stargirl, I think this is best suited for ages 11 and up.)

Author – Jerry Spinelli

Age 11+

Read a review of another wonderful read by Jerry Spinelli (Click on the cover)

(2021, Growing up, Shy, Friendship, 8th Grade, School, Ghost, Spirit, Authors, Writers, Self Discovery, Class mates, Beautiful, Short chapters, Coming of age, Humour)