How to Eat Fried Worms - DVD

Mark Johnson, Producer. How to Eat Fried Worms. New Line Cinema and Walden Media, 2006. Rated PG. 84 minutes. ISBN 0-7806-5620-2

Plot

Fifth-grader Billy is the new kid at school. He misses his old friends, and his first day of class is tough. A sweet girl named Erin, who apologizes for being so tall, helps him find his classroom. He stows his lunch box in a cubby in the hallway before going into class. When he gets to the lunch room, he sits alone. He opens his thermos to find that it is full of worms, courtesy of mean Joe and his gang. They taunt him, so Billy flings a worm at Joe and hits him in the face. Joe is visibly frightened. Billy brags about eating worms all the time, so the next day the gang calls him "worm boy." Joe and the gang follow Billy home from school and taunt him. Billy tells them he doesn't care if they call him worm boy because he eats them all the time. Joe bets Billy that he must eat 10 worms on Saturday or come to school on Monday with worms in his pants. On Friday night Billy begins packing to run away from home, but once outside he realizes he has nowhere to go. He goes back to bed. On Saturday, he faces up to the challenge and eats a worm. But he has nine more worms to eat, and things get crazy as the day continues.

Critical Evaluation

The movie is targeted at kids around Billy's age. The child actors look like they are elementary school age kids. They slowly form friendships in a way that feels real. Billy's family is sweet and caring. His little brother, Woody, is annoying as expected. The school he attends looks realistic, while his teacher is cartoonish and goofy. The principle, Mr. Burdock, seriously rules the school. He is not a caricature. The bully, Joe, is frightening, but he is humanized somewhat when we see his older brother bully him at home. The fifth-grader at my house loves this movie.

Annotations

Billy, the new kid at school, brags that he eats worms all the time when Joe, the bully, puts worms in his thermos. Billy and Joe make a worm-eating bet, and the boys know that their reputations are on the line.

Author

Thomas Rockwell wrote the novel on which the movie is based.

Genre

Fiction

Curriculum Ties

Language arts

Booktalk Ideas

Discuss the pros and cons of making bets with friends.

Viewing Level/Interest Age

Grade 4 (age 9) and up.

Challenge Issues and Defense

None.

Why is it here?

The movie is based on a classic story about the emotional and social stress of being a fifth-grader.