If you loved Rules. If you loved Waiting for Normal. Wednesday Wars. Okay for Now. If you loved Crooked Kind of Perfect, then I highly recommend you add this book to your to read list. Buy it or borrow, just do read it. This book was recommended to me some time ago. Didn't read it until now. I can see why my friend loved it and why the kids in her book club (middle grade readers) loved it as well. It is real and raw in the pain that Jeremy is dealing with after a horrible accident (that he blames himself for) takes his father's life. But not only that Jeremy is in a new school in the city, struggling to re-find himself and fit in, suffering from horrible nightmares. And then there is Aaron who Jeremy thinks is weird and a pain and he wants nothing to do with him. Hard to do when he is partnered with Aaron for a study of mealworms. As if that isn't enough, Aaron decides that Jeremy is his best friend. That's the last thing Jeremy wants with everything else he's dealing with...the school weird kid wanting to be his friend. The author skillfully and with a whole lot of heart weaves all of these issues together without wasting a single word or introducing a storyline or character that doesn't add to the depth and colour of this novel.From Indie Bound:Mealworms are small creatures that live in dark secret places. Jeremy is a bit like that when he leaves his home in rural Nova Scotia and moves to Toronto with his mother. Lots of things keep him from enjoying his new life, but the worst is his science partner, Aaron, who is more annoying than sand in a bathing suit. Jeremy is also burdened by the secret he carries about the motorcycle accident that injured him and killed his father. Although Jeremy is haunted by his past, he starts to feel at home in Toronto when he realizes he has some skills he can share with his classmates. And when his mealworm project yields some surprising results, Jeremy is finally able to talk about his part in the fatal accident.
I got my copy of this as an e-book from the library. I love my library!
Now if you looking to buy, you can also go the following places:
Book Depository
Amazon.com (you can get the kindle version)
Indigo
Orca Books
And of course don't forget to check out even more marvellous MMGM posts from:
Shannon Whitney Messenger (a.k.a. Fearless Leader)-Ramblings of a Wannabe Scribe
Jennifer Rumberger-Children's Author
Joanne Fritz-My Brain on Books
Danika Dinsmore-The Accidental Novelist
Shannon O'Donnell-Book Dreaming
Myrna Foster-The Night Writer
Natalie Aguirre-Literary Rambles
Brooke Favero-Somewhere in the Middle
Ally Beecher- Kid Lit Frenzy
Barbara Watson-Novel and Nouveau
Anita Laydon Miller-her middle grade blog
Michael G-G-Middle Grade Mafioso
Jessica Lei-her blog
Pam Torres-So I'm Fifty
Akoss-Nye Louwon – My Spirit | a search for the writer in me
Gabrielle Prendergast-Angelhorn
Gina Carey
T.L. Conway
If you are taking part in the MMGM posts and I don't have you on the list, do let me know so I can add you.
Sounds like a great book. And a great idea to spotlight some Canadian authors we might know about.
ReplyDeleteThanks Natalie and I agree on the Canadian authors. Need to get more back into that.
DeleteYes, I loved the Mealworm Diaries, too! I will definitely check out the sequel.
ReplyDeleteYes on checking out the sequel-I am pretty excited to read it I must say.
DeleteAw... my tbr list keeps growing every monday.
ReplyDeleteCan somebody please stop time so I can catch up? :)
Thanks for this great recommendation Deb. I made note to check it out.
I hadn't heard of this (and it has a sequel!). Definitely something for my son to check out. He's in that tween stage where some MG is too young and YA doesn't hit his interests most of the time. This sounds like a good fit.
ReplyDeleteThat list of "if you love..." books definitely caught my interest, because you pretty much listed my absolute fave MG books there, lol. So I'll for sure have to check out The Mealworm Diaries! Thanks!
ReplyDeleteI love these MMGM posts but they start to make me dizzy with all the great books I want to get around to read - too many books, too little time!! Now, I would never pick up a book that has mealworms in its title (ack, I have some BAD memories of mealworms!!) but thank you advising me to give it a try despite its title!
ReplyDeleteYou and Ms. Yingling are two of the cleverest, well-read women I know. And double-duty blogging proves it!
ReplyDeleteGreat review of The Meal-Worm Diaries. I love learning about all these great Canadian authors. But, as I said in a comment on Jennifer Rumgberger's blog, I do need a pair of bionic eyes for all the reading I have to do to keep up!
Hmmm, you know...bionic eyes appeal to me oh yes they do!
DeleteI normally love Orca books, but don't care much for any of the books mentioned! And thanks, Michael. It's not the bionic eyes you need so much as NINJA SKILLS!
ReplyDelete