Synopses & Reviews
Synopsis
Fans of Stargirl and Maniac Magee rejoice Newbery Medalist Jerry Spinelli delivers a brilliant new novel about being bold, and taking charge of your life. Worm Tarnauer has spent most of eighth grade living down to his nickname. He prefers to be out of sight, underground. He walked the world unseen. He's happy to let his best friend, Eddie, lead the way and rule the day.
And this day--Dead Wednesday--is going to be awesome. The school thinks assigning each eighth grader the name of a teenager who died in the past year and having them don black shirts and become invisible will make them contemplate their own mortality. Yeah, sure. The kids know that being invisible to teachers really means you can get away with anything. It's a day to go wild
But Worm didn't count on Becca Finch (17, car crash). Letting this girl into his head is about to change everything.
Jerry Spinelli tells the story of the unexpected, heartbreaking, hilarious, truly epic day when Worm Tarnauer discovers his own life.
Synopsis
Can playing dead bring you back to life? Maybe only on Dead Wednesday... On this day the worlds of a shy boy and a gone girl collide, and the connection they make will change them both forever. A brilliant new novel from the Newbery Medal winner and author of the New York Times bestseller Stargirl. Jerry Spinelli has created another middle grade masterpiece. --BookPage, starred review
On Dead Wednesday, every eighth grader in Amber Springs is assigned the name and identity of a teenager who died a preventable death in the past year. The kids don black shirts and for the whole day everyone in town pretends they're invisible--as if they weren't even there. The adults think it will make them contemplate their mortality. The kids know it's a free pass to get away with anything.
Worm Tarnauer feels invisible every day. He's perfectly happy being the unnoticed sidekick of his friend Eddie. So he's not expecting Dead Wednesday to feel that different. But he didn't count on being assigned Becca Finch (17, car crash). And he certainly didn't count on Becca showing up to boss him around Letting this girl into his head is about to change everything.
This is the story of the unexpected, heartbreaking, hilarious, truly epic day when Worm Tarnauer discovers his own life.