The Mealworm Diaries

April 15, 2009
Grades 3-5 After his family moves from rural Nova Scotia to Toronto, Jeremyhas a hard timesettling into his new school. His adjustment feels even harder after he is paired witha socially awkward student, Aaron, in a science-fair project involving mealworms. Jeremy is embarrassed by Aarons frequently out-of-control behavior, and heacts with cruelty towards his partner. As the story unfolds through flashbacks, readers learn that Jeremy feels responsible for the death of his father, and as he gradually accepts the truth ofhis dads fatalaccident, Jeremy also gains compassion for Aaron. In her debut novel, Kerz effectively conveys the insular social dynamics of a grade-school classroom and presents winning portraits of Jeremy and his understanding family and teacher. Readers will enjoy this quiet story as they absorbitssimple but timeless message about the importance of kindness.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2009, American Library Association.)