The Carnival in My Mind has not been adapted into any other versions, but for those who enjoy the novel, Wersba has written a multitude of novels for youths that reflect the idea of the outcast youth struggling to find a place for himself or herself in the world. The Best Place to Live Is the Ceiling, written in 1990, deals with Archie Smith, a lonely teenager living in Queens, New York. Archie, undistinguished in school, and undesired by girls, spends his time at the Kennedy Airport, watching the jumbo jets take off for Europe. When a man sitting beside Archie has a heart attack and leaves his travel wallet behind, Archie takes the man's place, leaving New York for Switzerland and Europe and a bevy of adventures.

Wersba has written two trilogies, one about Rita Formica, an overweight teenager, and another trilogy about Heidi Rosenbloom. Rita...