Parents' Guide to

How to Eat Fried Worms

By Norah Caroline Piehl, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 9+

Kids are sure to devour this gross-out book.

Book Thomas Rockwell Humor 2006
How to Eat Fried Worms Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this book.

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age 8+

Based on 5 parent reviews

WSD Room14
WSD Room14 Adult
May 5, 2015
age 9+

Engaging book -- aligns well with Science units on worm

I used this as a read-aloud in my Gr 2/3 classroom. My students loved it, but I did have to read ahead and alter some of the text to make it more appropriate for this generation.
susielouhoo
susielouhoo Adult
April 18, 2013
age 8+

Educational Value and Morals to Find the Courage to Fight

This is from an educational standpoint of view. I read the book in 3rd grade as a class when I was young, and now that I teach we read it together, make our own worms, (sliced hotdogs, cooked) and try several different condiments of our own to eat our "worms" with. We tie it together with a bar graph of what was the favorite condiments from least to greatest on a huge bulletin board outside of the classroom, complete with the students eating the fried "worms"! This is one of the students best memories that have came back later in years to see me and recall the book and the details.

This title has:

Educational value
Great messages
Great role models
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What's the Story?

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?

Our review:
Parents say (5):
Kids say (9):

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.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • 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?

Book Details

  • Author: Thomas Rockwell
  • Illustrator: Emily Arnold McCully
  • Genre: Humor
  • Book type: Fiction
  • Publication date: August 24, 2006
  • Publisher's recommended age(s): 9 - 12
  • Number of pages: 116
  • Last updated: July 12, 2017

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