Mr. Cassidy, teacher of Room 8, which houses the 19 boys who are the Sads and the Bads at St. Boniface School. These boys, who "have the boredom thresholds of brain-damaged gnats," choose as their science project The Great Flour Baby Experiment: each takes full-time responsibility for a six lb. bag of white flour, with instructions to keep it dry, safe from harm, and absolutely mud-free. All rapidly lose patience with the project-all, that is, but Simon Martin, who goes "moon-eyed" over his flour baby. Simon not only learns of the immense yet often tedious responsibilities of parenthood, but also comes to a deeper understanding of his own father's absence and an appreciation of his mother's plight as a single parent.
From Back of book: Eleven days into The Great Flour Baby Experiment,the restof the boys in Room 8-the classroom for under-achievers and troublemakers-are ready to drop kick their six pound flour "babies" into the creek,but not Simon, He's keeping his flour baby clean and dry,maintaining its weight,and never,never leaving its side,even if the rest of teh class thinks he's crazy. Maybe he is. But Simon's flour baby is helping Simon figure out his own life-why his father walked out on him,and how strong his mother is,raising him alone. In fact,Simon might not be able to give up his flour baby as the day of the giant,glorious Flour Free-for All approaches
