Project Disaster

Jean Free, a library consultant, was an elementary-school teacher and
librarian in Whitby, Ontario.

Neil Boisvert has been training his pet goldfish, Fido, to respond to
different colors for his pet project at school. When his fish dies
because his four-year-old sister, Tara, overfeeds it, he must think of a
new project. After his grandfather buys him a copy of Charlotte’s Web,
he decides on a spider. Complications arise when Neil’s teacher is
frightened of the spider and steps on it. Neil, in his frustration,
drives his grandfather’s Firebird out the driveway and damages the
fender.

Project Disaster has an interesting multicultural story line with
Neil’s French father, Jean-Pierre, and his German grandparents, Opa
and Omi. It has 14 chapters, is well illustrated by Brian Boyd, and
would be an excellent novel for a Grade 3 class to complement a pet
unit. It is fast-paced, interesting, and relevant to its intended
readers.