A young boy struggles with body image in this poignant middle grade journey to self-acceptance told through prose, verse, and illustration.
Will is the only round kid in a school full of thin ones. So he hides…in baggy jeans and oversized hoodies, in the back row during class, and anywhere but the cafeteria during lunch. But shame isn’t the only feeling that dominates Will’s life. He’s also got a crush on a girl named Jules who knows he doesn’t have a chance with—string beans only date string beans—but he can’t help wondering what if?
Will’s best shot at attracting Jules’s attention is by slaying the Will Monster inside him by changing his eating habits and getting more exercise. But the results are either frustratingly slow or infuriatingly unsuccessful, and Will’s shame begins to morph into self-loathing.
As he resorts to increasingly drastic measures to transform his appearance, Will meets skateboarder Markus, who helps him see his body and all it contains as an ever-evolving work in progress.
A Work in Progress received a STARRED review from Publishers Weekly. Click HERE to read the review.
A Work in Progress received a STARRED review from Shelf Awareness. Click HERE to read the review.
Kirkus Reviews called A Work in Progress “a successful marriage of art and poetry.” They said “Lerner uses the format to great effect” and “writes very affecting scenes that will resonate with some readers and provide insight for others, shedding powerful light on boys’ body image struggles.” Click HERE to read the review.
A Work in Progress was also selected for the 2023 Global Read Aloud. Click HERE to learn more about that.
A Work in Progress was named a May/June 2023 Kids Indies Next Pick. Click HERE to see the full list.
A Work in Progress was named a Best Book of the Year by Audible.com. Click HERE to see the full list.
A Work in Progress was named a Best Book of the Year by the New York Public Library. Click HERE to see the full list.
A Work in Progress was named a Best Book of the Year by the Chicago Public Library. Click HERE to see the full list.
A Work in Progress was selected as a 2024 ProjectLIT Book. Click HERE to learn more and see all the books.
A Work in Progress was nominated for the 2024-2025 Georgia Children’s Book Award. Click HERE to see the full list of nominees.
A Work in Progress was nominated for the 2024-2025 Kentucky Bluegrass Award. Click HERE to see the full list of nominees.
A Work in Progress was nominated for the 2024-2025 Sunshine State Young Readers Award. Click HERE to see the full list of nominees.
A Work in Progress was nominated for the 2024-2025 Massachusetts Book Award. Click HERE to see the full list of nominees.
Are you planning to use A Work in Progress in a classroom or library, or as part of a book club? Click HERE to download the book’s Educator’s Guide — it’s full of discussion questions, extension activities, and additional resources.
Behind the Scenes of A Work in Progress (videos also available on YouTube)
Below is a series of six videos in which author-illustrator Jarrett Lerner takes readers behind the scenes of the creation of his illustrated novel in verse, A Work in Progress. Each of the six videos in the series corresponds with the 2023 Global Read Aloud’s weekly reading schedule. (These videos can also be found on Jarrett Lerner’s YouTube channel.)
Jarrett Lerner 