• Age: 9 to 12
• Grade: 4 to 7
• Reading age: 9 to 12

In this stand-alone sequel to The Mealworm Diaries, Aaron is anxiously waiting for his father to return for the first time since Aaron's mother's death eight years earlier. Aaron works hard with a counselor at school, but he still has problems getting along with and understanding other kids, and he's worried that his dad will think he's weird. As well as having to confront Tufan, the class bully, Aaron must find ways to cope with the fact that his dad now has a pregnant wife and his beloved Gran needs surgery. In the end, his greatest strength is not his intelligence or his sense of humor, but the openness and warmth of his heart.

Anna Kerz's first book, The Mealworm Diaries, was shortlisted for many awards, including a Ruth and Sylvia Schwartz Award. Anna is also the author of The Gnome's Eye, a story loosely based on herexperiences as an immigrant child, and Better Than Weird, the companion novel to The Mealworm Diaries. When she's not writing, Anna can be found working in her garden, walking her dog or collecting new folk and fairy tales, myths and legends to try out on her grandchildren. In her spare time, she tells stories to audiences of all ages and teaches students how to tell stories of their own. She lives in Scarborough, Ontario, with her husband, Frank, and their dog, Bailey.

Anna Kerz's profile page

• Commended, Bank Street College of Education Children's Book Committee Best Children's Books of the Year
• Nominated, Saskatchewan Young Readers' Choice Awards - Diamond Willow
• Commended, CCBC Best Books for Kids & Teens, starred selection
• Short-listed, Forest of Reading Silver Birch Fiction Award
• Commended, The Children’s Literature and Reading Special Interest Group (ILA CL/R SIG) Notable Books for a Global Society list
• Commended, Ontario Library association (OLA) Best Bets

"With warmth and understanding, Kerz presents Aaron's brave, hopeful efforts to understand others, inviting us to sympathize with his uncertainties about 'reading' people and about learning how to manage his own enthusiasm appropriately."

ParentCentral.ca

[Starred review] "Aaron doesn't know his father at all. He is both excited and terrified by the impending reunion—and so are we...Kerz is brilliant at describing these challenges from Aaron's perspective, and she does so without a trace of sentimentality...It's a messy and far from perfect outcome for Aaron, but after spending some time with his own messy imperfections, we wouldn't have it any other way."

Quill & Quire

"A good book, with some mystery and action...Interesting and easy to follow."

BookLinx

"A stand-alone sequel to Anna Kerz's excellent Mealworm Diaries. Aaron is a credible, well-rounded character, as are Gran, Tufan, Dad, and all of the other characters. Better Than Weird is simply told, yet rich with wonderful metaphors and believable surprises. Kerz's style makes this a story that will appeal to readers of all levels. Highly Recommended."

CM Magazine

"Kerz succeeds beautifully at crafting a convincing narrative centered on the life of a 12-year-old boy who cannot control his behavior...Aaron's voice is convincing as a child desperate to understand his surroundings. Supporting characters, from Aaron's father to his classmates, are also realistically portrayed."

School Library Journal

"Kerz compassionately shares Aaron's struggles and joys while illustrating the different perceptions others have of him and how these perceptions impact his own views and responses."

CanLit for Little Canadians blog

"Kerz manages to create an endearing protagonist whom we want to succeed. By writing from Aaron's point of view, Kerz helps readers understand the daily struggles faced by a child who has always been teased, bullied and chosen last...We feel deeply for him. This is a story that all children who have struggled to fit in will appreciate and a tale that will perhaps garner empathy and understanding in those who know children like Aaron."

Canadian Children's Book News

"The story moves quickly and for those who enjoyed the humour in The Mealworm Diaries, they will certainly enjoy this title...Would be a good addition to a young readers' fiction collection in both school and public libraries. Aaron Waite is a unique, well-formed character who, like Joey Pigza in Jack Gantos' Joey Series, captures our sympathy and we read on because we want him to succeed."

Resource Links

"In a long line of recent books about kids with autism, Kerz's effort nevertheless shines, primarily because in Aaron she has created a kid who captures readers' complete interest as he struggles with his quirks and tries to be, as the title puts it, better than weird...Life's complications are delicately handled by Kerz, who weaves a multilayered tale...A heartwarming read for fans of realistic fiction."

Booklist

"The plot moves at a good pace, interweaving the stories of Aaron waiting to meet his father that abandoned him, learning how to make and keep a friend, and resolving conflict with a bully...This is a good choice for someone who has some of the same issues as the protagonist or needs help understanding someone who does."

VOYA

"This moving story looks at both family and school life from the point of view of a boy trying hard to fit into a world he doesn't quite understand...The details of school life are believable and familiar, and the ending leaves Aaron and readers waiting for a hopeful outcome...This companion book [to The Mealworm Diaries] stands alone but will surely send readers back to read the first."

Kirkus Reviews

"The twists and turns in this short novel paint a compelling picture of the difficulties of growing up, and provide a unique perspective."

Canadian Teacher

Better Than Weird

Aaron (a character we met in Anna Kerz’s first book, The Mealworm Diaries) is anxiously awaiting the arrival of his father whom he has not seen in eight years. Waiting is hard for Aaron — as is sitting still, staying on task and reading people’s moods. Karen, the school counsellor, is working with Aaron to teach him how to read people’s faces and act more appropriately. When Aaron and Tufan, the class bully, are assigned the task of introducing the school concert, Aaron is desperate to make his dad proud. When his dad finally arrives, he has a surprise for Aaron. He introduces him to his new wife, Sophie, and Aaron learns that he is about to become a big brother. But his dad is not always patient, and Aaron discovers that making his dad proud may be harder than he’d thought.

Regardless of how impulsive and impatient Aaron appears to others, Anna Kerz manages to create an endearing protagonist whom we want to see succeed. By writing from Aaron’s point of view, Kerz helps readers understand the daily struggles faced by a child who has always been teased, bullied and chosen last. As hard as Aaron tries to be like everyone else, he can’t always control his behaviour and, when he nearly loses his only friend because of it, we feel deeply for him. This is a story that all children who have struggled to fit in will appreciate and a tale that will perhaps garner empathy and understanding in those who know children like Aaron. I highly recommend this book for children from the late primary to early intermediate grades.

Better Than Weird

In this stand-alone sequel to The Mealworm Diaries, Aaron has made a couple of friends and at least one enemy. Anxiously awaiting the arrival of his father, whom he hasn’t seen in many years, Aaron is trying to cope with bullying at school, his grandmother’s illness and his father’s pregnant new wife. Aaron worries his father will think he’s too weird and leave again and wonders how he can make his dad proud.