“This fever dream of a story about self-acceptance and forgiveness is unforgettable.” - Shelf Awareness, starred review “ Spinelli captures eighth-grade social dynamics, Worm’s self-erasure, and Becca’s confidence with vivid authenticity.” - The Bulletin, starred review A stellar pick for tween collections.” - Booklist, starred review “ Spinelli writes with wry humor that still makes room for sweetness and a belief in the impossible. Characters to love, quips to snort at, insights to ponder.” - Kirkus Reviews, starred review “ Spinelli shines at setting a tongue-in-cheek tone for a tale with serious underpinnings, and as in Stargirl, readers will be swept into the relationship that develops between this adolescent odd couple. … authentic and frequently funny… riveting.” - BookPage, starred review
“ Jerry Spinelli has created another middle grade masterpiece. This is the story of the unexpected, heartbreaking, hilarious, truly epic day when Worm Tarnauer discovers his own life. 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. But he didn’t count on being assigned Becca Finch (17, car crash). So he’s not expecting Dead Wednesday to feel that different. He’s perfectly happy being the unnoticed sidekick of his friend Eddie. The kids know it’s a free pass to get away with anything. The adults think it will make them contemplate their mortality. The kids don black shirts and for the whole day everyone in town pretends they’re invisible-as if they weren’t even there.
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. “Jerry Spinelli has created another middle grade masterpiece.” - BookPage, starred review A brilliant new novel from the Newbery Medal winner and author of the New York Times bestseller Stargirl. Can playing dead bring you back to life? Maybe 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.