Squirm
By Rachel Sarah,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Boy saves animals and his family in fun environmental tale.
A Lot or a Little?
What you will—and won't—find in this book.
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What's the Story?
Billy Dickens, the middle school main character in SQUIRM, loves snakes and can't stand bullies. When Billy was only 4 years old, his father disappeared. Every month since his dad split town, he has sent money to Billy's mother, who cashes the check and then destroys the envelope. One day, Bill pieces together his father's address in Montana and sets out to find him. Instead, he meets his father's new family: Lis, his new stepmom, and Summer, his new stepsister, both of whom belong to the Crow Nation. Together they embark on an adventure that involves grizzly bears, spy drones, and an endangered panther.
Is It Any Good?
This quick, funny read tackles lots of issues, including an absent father, wildlife poachers, and endangered animals. Bill Dickens is a very amusing, adventurous middle schooler, although some aspects of the adventures in Squirm are not plausible, such as when he writes a check from his savings account and leaves it for his mother to cover the cost of his flight to Montana.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the environmental issues in Squirm. What do you think of how Billy's father behaves to protect endangered animals? What other choices could he have made?
Is it OK to break the rules -- or keep secrets -- if you're doing so for a good cause, such as protecting the environment?
Families can talk about how secrets are portrayed and dealt with in Squirm. Why would Billy's father want to keep his whereabouts a secret?
Book Details
- Author: Carl Hiaasen
- Genre: Contemporary Fiction
- Topics: Adventures, Great Boy Role Models, Middle School, Science and Nature, Wild Animals
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf
- Publication date: September 25, 2018
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 8 - 12
- Number of pages: 288
- Available on: Paperback, Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, iBooks, Kindle
- Last updated: March 19, 2019
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