The book is really funny. Good Book
How to Eat Fried Worms
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Is it age appropriate?
About our ratings -
Is it any good?
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Common Sense says
Kids are sure to devour this gross-out book.
Themes in this book include: friendship, growing up
updated 01.28.10
Why We Rated This 
for Ages 9 and Up
What to watch out for
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Role models:
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Violence:
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Sex:
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Language:
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Consumerism:
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Drinking, drugs, & smoking:
What Parents Need to Know
This review of How to Eat Fried Worms was written by Norah Caroline Piehl
Parents need to know that this book's title isn't just a gimmick; it's actually a story about eating real, live worms (or, in some cases, worms that have been cooked and killed). Kids will laugh, but adults are likely to get grossed out. There is a fistfight, and two of the boys cheat to win the bet. And since the book was released in 1973, some gender roles seem outdated.
Families Can Talk About
Talk to your kids about the media in their life. We have more tools and tips that can help
- Families can talk about why gross-out books are so popular.
- Why do you like them -- and is there any kind of situation that would be so gross you wouldn't want to read about it?
- Parents might also want to ask kids what the message here is.
- Think past the gross stuff: Do the characters end up learning anything? Finally, families who see the movie might want to compare and contrast it with the book. What's different?
- Which version do you prefer?
Have you read it? Review It!
More on How to Eat Fried Worms
Book Summary
Billy Forrester's always up for a dare, but this time he's in for a real challenge. His friends, Alan and Joe, bet Billy fifty dollars that he can't eat 15 worms in 15 days. Billy survives the first one, chokes down the second, and practically relishes the third.
When Joe and Alan realize that Billy's going to stick to his goal -- and even enjoy doing it -- they try everything they can to keep Billy from reaching his goal. Billy, with the help of his family and his friend Tom, tries to stay one step ahead of their tricks. They even create new recipes -- from Southern Fried Worm to Whizbang Worm Delight -- to help Billy reach his goal.
Is It Any Good?
There's one thing to be said for HOW TO EAT FRIED WORMS: It gets kids to read. Its disgusting premise, a bet about eating worms, is so in tune with middle-grade humor that even kids who say they hate books will read it and recommend it to their friends. In the end, this may not be literature, but the humor will genuinely appeal to kids reluctant to leave behind the silly humor of early reader series like The Adventures of Captain Underpants.
Its short chapters and numerous pictures help young readers ease the transition to longer chapter books. But the book, which has now spawned a movie, will have less appeal for adults. Grown-ups are likely to get tired of the repetition -- there are only so many ways to cook a worm, after all -- and might feel slightly sick along the way.
Publisher’s Details
Publication date: 8/24/2006
Number of pages: 116, Price: $4.99 (paperback)
Read Aloud: 5-8, Read Alone: 9-12
Number of pages: 116, Price: $4.99 (paperback)
Read Aloud: 5-8, Read Alone: 9-12
Our Members Say
See 16 member reviews
Most Recent Reviews
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I rate this title on for age 8 and give it
- My highlights are:
- Good role models
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I rate this title on for age 7 and give it
This book is fun, fun, funny!
Book Review for How To Eat Fried Worms by Thomas Rockwell Reviewed by: Alec Gildone May 27, 2009 How to Eat Fried Worms is a good book and is fun to read. There is a funny part in the book where Tom, Billy, Allen and Joe have a rock war and they were calling each other silly names. My favorite part of the book is when Billy’s friends challenge him to eat fried worms to win a mini bike. It’s my favorite because I like mini bikes and want to get one but my mom won’t let me because she is mean. I think the characters in this book are real people that are just like me and my friends. They bet each other and have wars. The ending was really cool, but I don’t want to give it away. I recommend kids read this book because it is funny and it’s easy for third graders to read, like me.
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I rate this title on for age 2 and give it
okyrok
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I rate this title on for age 6 and give it
How to eat fried worms
One day,there were three boys that bet billy to eat fifteen worms. If billy can do it, he will get $50 to buy a minibike from his friends.
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I rate this title on for age 8 and give it
Great for the boys in your life.
Definitely a book about the troubles that boys can get into. I like that the parents stayed out and let the boys figure it out by themselves.Reading how the boys tried to get out of this mess that they created was entertaining and imaginative.
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