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    How to Eat Fried Worms
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    How to Eat Fried Worms
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    How to Eat Fried Worms
    Audiobook1 hour

    How to Eat Fried Worms

    Written by Thomas Rockwell

    Narrated by Jay O. Sanders

    3.5/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    Because of a bet, Billy is in the uncomfortable position of having to eat fifteen worms in fifteen days. The worms are supplied by his opponent, whose motto is "The bigger and juicier, the better!" At first Billy's problem is whether or not he can swallow the worm placed before him, even with a choice of condiments from peanut butter to horseradish. But later it looks as if Billy will win, and the challenge becomes getting to the worm to eat it. Billy's family, after checking with the doctor, takes everything in stride. They even help Billy through his gastronomic ordeal, which twists and turns with each new day, leaving the outcome of the bet continually in doubt.


    From the Paperback edition.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherPenguin Random House Audio
    Release dateJul 5, 2000
    ISBN9780553752236
    Unavailable
    How to Eat Fried Worms

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    Reviews for How to Eat Fried Worms

    3.5/5

    483 ratings26 reviews

    What did you think?

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    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 5/5
      Funny book!
    • 5/5
      Loved the movie for this. Every kid should watch it. And read the book. But I only read the book when I was much older, because,as a kid, I did not want to read a book about eating worms. Like, come on. Disgusting.

      Now that I'm more mature, I can see why this is such a popular kids' book. It's about friendship. How you could fight with your friend one moment, and then be the best of buds again the next. It's fun, it's about kids being kids, boys being boys. Every kid should know about this (at least, boys should).

    • 4/5
      Billy will take on any bet, but this one may have put him in over his head. He bet his friend he could eat 15 worms -- one worm each day. As he devises ways to get around the taste and texture, his buddies try to find ways to make him lose. What boy wouldn't want to read this...disgusting and very much how I imagine boys interacting with each other. Some of it may seem a little dated, but not enough to hurt the hilarity. I have not seen the movie, but from the pictures in the middle I'm guessing they aren't very similar when it comes to characters.
    • 5/5
      This book is an excellent transition book by Thomas Rockwell. This book is great and I really enjoyed it! The book follows a boy named Billy who because of a bet, is in the uncomfortable position of having to eat fifteen worms in fifteen days. The worms are supplied by his opponent, who motto is "The bigger and juicer, the better!" At first Billy's problem is whether or not he can swallow the worm placed before him, even with a choice of condiments from peanut butter to horseradish. But later it looks as if Billy will win, and the challenge becomes getting to the worm to eat it. Billy's family, after checking with the doctor, takes everything in stride. They even help Billy through his gastronomic ordeal, which twists and turns with each new day, leaving the outcome of the best continually in doubt. Would recommend this book to transitional readers!
    • 4/5
      This is a humorous tale about a boy, Billy, who has a $50 dollar bet with friends. Billy says that he could eat fifteen worms in fifteen days. His friends, Allen and Joe, doubt it so they bet him $50 dollars that he could not get through the 50 worms. 3rd-5th graders will enjoy this book. It could lead to a class discussion about the importance of having self-determination and making smart choices.
    • 2/5
      A book that I thought I was not going to enjoy but for what it is worth it really was not that bad at all. A book I would recommend to reluctant boy readers. The story does portray some of today's realites that children go through, I would say the peer pressure aspect. The book depicts this in a humorous manner. I do not think this book is serious enough to illuminate the problems and issues of growing up in today's world (a bet to eat 15 worms in 15 days for 50 dollars). The characters are boys, best friends, they do what best friends do dare each other, try to trick each other, occasionally get into scuffle. This book does not discuss controversial topics. The book lacks in depth and is difficult to take as a realistic fiction book. The story isn't bad but it does not really teach much or has much to offer. The story lacks to help children enlarge their personal points of view.Ages 7 - 9
    • 3/5
      This book is about a group of friends and how they bet their friend Billy to eat 15 worms. The bet gets a little out of control and before you know it they have multiple ways you could eat a worm. As disgusting as it seems the book was written and illustrated in a way that made you feel as if you were there and grabs the attention of the reader.
    • 4/5
      The whole thing is a dare. Alan bets Billy fifty dollars that he can't eat fifteen worms in fifteen days. Tom hangs with Billy and Joe with Alan as Alan frets and worries that Billy will actually eat them. Alan and Joe try to find ways to freak Billy out or trick him into losing the bet, and there are some dicey moments! Pretty cute book. 115 pages with illustrations a great 2nd grade read.
    • 5/5
      Prepare to be grossed out in the most hilarious ways as you follow a dare that leads to more trouble than Billy bargained for even the $50 he will get for completing the dare. With an undercurrent of the value of supportive family and friends, this book is a great read for reluctant readers.
    • 4/5
      Rockwell, Thomas. (1973) How to Eat Fried Worms. Pictures by Emily McCully. New York: Franklin Watts.Billy and his friends are all involved in a bet that involved $50 and 15 worms. Billy is successful at eating the first 3 worms at the horror of his friends and realizes that the others will be a piece of cake. But his friends don't want to let him win that bet so they try to find ways to sabotage him and make him lose. They are unsuccessful and Billy is able to eat all 15 worms and wins the $50 and buys himself a minibike. This book is great and has been popular after all these years. It has simple easy drawings that help the story along. The story premise is realistic and something that some kids would actually do since they are always looking for something daring.
    • 5/5
      I have so many wonderful memories of this book. I got it when I was very young, maybe four or five, and my uncle would read it to me and deliberately gross me out with dramatizations of the worms and stuff. It was the subject of many discussions and pretend-play, and I must have read it (and had it read to me) at LEAST fifteen times over the course of my childhood. It's a classic! The very thought will make you shiver, but you just can't stop reading, because omg is this kid seriously doing this??
    • 3/5
      How to Eat Fried Worms is a story about a young boy named Alan who got in trouble from his parents for being a picky eater. His friend Billy told Alan that he could and would eat anything. The two children then had a bet that if Billy could eat 15 worms in 15 days, Alan would give him $50 to buy a bicycle. The children had struggles in their friendship because of the bet. In the end, Billy ate all of the worms and they all were taking turns riding on the new bike.This book was very interesting to see if Billy would eat the worms and if Alan really would come up with the $50 dollars. I believe it had a great theme of friendship and what can get in between.One activity would to make chocolate cupcakes and put spaghetti noodles in them to look like worms and see if the kids would eat it. Another idea would be to have the children write about their feelings when Alan started to become mean towards Billy so they can connect better to the story.
    • 3/5
      Okay, I think I would have liked this book more if I was younger when I read it. Because I was in the 7th grade when I read it, it didnt really do much for me. Never the less, I think that elementrary kids will really enjoy this quirky and fun story.
    • 4/5
      This books is about four friends and a bet. Alan bets Billy that he can't eat fifteen worms, one a day for fifteen days. The loser has to give the winner fifty dollars. Tom and Billy are on a side, and Tom is working really hard to make sure Billy eats the worms. Meanwhile, Joe and Alan are cheating, doing anything and everything they can to make Billy lose.I liked this book, it showed that friendship is more important than any bet. It also shows how cheating at simple bets or even games you play with your friends can ruin your friendship.For an extension we would watch the movie in class and compare the similarities and differences of the two. During the movie, the students can eat candy worms if they wish. The students can also make a menu, for a restuarant, of a variety of worm entrees. They can also design the shape of the menu into a worm and give the restuarant a name.
    • 5/5
      My teacher read this book to the class in second grade and I liked it because it tells readers how many different ways to eat fried worms. After we finished the book we ate fried worms and we used almost all the different ways the book mention. Worms were actually quite tasty.
    • 5/5
      How to Eat Fried Worms may seem a little out of date with some of the language the author uses, but for the most part this book fits realistic fiction very well. The author does an excellent job of describing everything that is happening in such a way that the reader can imagine what is going on between the boys in this book and how their friendships are tested. The setting is not too specific though, so the reader could imagine the story happening in many different locations, such as their own neighborhood.
    • 4/5
      A classic I have read several times. Perfect read-aloud for boys.
    • 5/5
      One of my all time favorite childhood books!
    • 5/5
      I loved reading this book over and over as a kid. I don't know what it was about the story but I loved it. When my daughter was the age when I read it, I had her read it too and she really enjoyed it. One of my favorite memories of my childhood was lying under a shade tree in the yard on a blanket reading and this book was one of them.
    • 4/5
      I have trouble believing this is so old. I read it several times, in my childhood and as a young adult.
    • 4/5
      A story about a new kid at school, Billy, and him learning how to stand up to the school bully. When Billy brings a thermos of warms to school the bully asks him if he always eats worms. In his fun sense of humor Billy says he eats them all the time. When Billy throws a worm at the bully it begins a battle of having to eat ten worms a day and the first one who gives up must walk through school with worms down their pants. Additionally, Billy has struggles at home with his dad not liking his new job and mom's time is consumed with other things. This is a great book to begin a conversation about bully while using light humor.
    • 4/5
      Enjoyable book about a little boy who bets that he can eat 15 worms in 15 days. It will have you laughing from cover to cover, and make you cringe at every new recipe. You may not be able to eat while reading this book, but you will never want to put it down.
    • 4/5
      Dare devil. This book will teach children thinking first before you do anything whether its a bet or not. Story is told in a comical way.A young boy Billy has to eat 15 worms in 15 days or he has to pay!
    • 4/5
      Summary:A bet has been made between friends that Billy cannot eat fifteen worms. Joe and Alan bet he cannot, but Tom is on Billy’s side. This book follows the exciting challenge through all fifteen worms. Joe and Alan try to sabotage Billy, but Billy outwits them and wins. The prize for winning is $50 and Billy buys a bike with the money. Personal Reaction:The book was pretty interesting to me, but I think kids would love it. I believe it is more of a boy book, but some girls may enjoy it also.Classroom Extension Ideas:1. We could watch the movie and see how it compares to the book. Have the children write a paper on the differences in the movie and book and which one they liked better.2. Make the children dirt pudding and hide gummy worms inside. Have the children dig out the gummy worms.
    • 4/5
      When four friends are together, what do you think happens when one of them annouces that they could eat anything?! the dares start coming out and Billy is faced with accepting a dare to eat 15 worms in 15 days for $50. He can use any condiment he wishes and cook them any way he wants, but he has to eat them all, or he loses. As the days tick by, his friends get increasingly nervous Billy will actually do it, so they pull out the psychological warefare. This leads to a fun, albeit icky, read. Challenged for: Profanity (the word “bastard”); depicts alcohol consumption (father has a beer).
    • 4/5
      Alan bets Billy fifty dollars that Billy can’t eat fifteen worms in fifteen days. After successfully eating the first few (coated with condiments and even fried), Alan and his friend Joe get worried that they will. They begin trying all these different ways to trick Billy into losing the bet. From gluing two worms together to sending fake letters from the doctor, the boys try everything they can think even up to the last minute of the bet to get Billy to lose. Billy goes through the fear of being poisoned to having nightmares, but in the end, he wins the bet…and even begins to like eating worms.I think this is a cute book. I remember reading it when I was younger. Although it is humorous and light, it has good morals about cheating and peer pressure. I have a two year-old son, so when I was reading this I kept putting myself in Billy’s mom’s position. It would be funny to experience that sort of situation among your son and his friends. However, I am not sure I would be as willing as she was to fry up any worms in my kitchen!One extension would be to discuss the issue of peer pressure. This book was funny but peer pressure is a serious subject. The class could make a list of ways to deal with peer pressure and how to say no. They could decorate a poster board with that list and it could be put up in the hall or somewhere in the school. Another simple extension would be for the students to write about the grossest thing they have ever eaten/tasted and explain whether they would eat it again for something they really want (and what it is they really want). They could share it with the class.