The Worm Whisperer

by Betty Hicks, Ben Hatke (Illustrator)

You've heard of Horse Whisperers and Dog Whisperers, but Ellis thinks he might be a Worm Whisperer! Ellis Coffey loves animals. He spends so much time outdoors that sometimes he thinks he can talk with them. When he discovers a caterpillar that seems to follow his directions, he knows he has a chance to win the annual Woolly Worm race. The prize money is $1,000--exactly the amount of the deductible for his dad's back surgery. If Ellis is right and he can train his woolly worm to be the fastest in the county, he's sure can solve all his family's problems. But when you're trying to talk to insects, nothing is as simple as it seems. From Betty Hicks, author of the Gym Shorts series for new readers, comes a story of friendship, family, and hidden talents that might be more useful than they first seemed.

Genres: Realistic Fiction, Juvenile, Middle Grade, Childrens, Animals, Friendship, Nature

194 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 22, 2013

About the author

Betty Hicks has drawn on her experience and love for sports in Gym Shorts, her new series for seven to ten year-olds. Growing up, Betty enjoyed everything: basketball, swimming, softball, horseback riding, field hockey, ice skating, tennis, skiing, and more. As an adult, she’s an avid fan of college basketball and the Olympic Games, and, an average fan of just about everything else you can think of.

In Gym Shorts, Betty welcomed the opportunity to provide younger readers with books about different types of athletics—basketball, soccer, swimming, baseball, track, tennis—you name it! But she especially wanted to write books that weren’t just about the wins and losses on game day. Friendships, fears, school, parents, pets, homework—all the things that weave their way into the lives of kids who play sports—are a crucial part of every story.

Betty has also put her own single and stepparent experiences to good use in five additional books for eight to twelve year-olds. Depicting funny, true-to-life family situations, Betty brings laughter and meaning to the experiences of growing up, not just in a divorced family, but in any family.

Betty has a BA in English and an MFA in the Study and Writing of Children’s Literature from Hollins University. She has published stories in Highlights and Pockets magazines, is a member of The Society for Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, and has worked as a book reviewer for Children’s Literature.

She and her husband, Bill, live in Greensboro, North Carolina. She spends much of her non-writing time reading, traveling, playing golf, and pursuing her photography hobby. But her number one favorite pastime is hanging out with her five grandchildren. Not only do they bring her joy, they unknowingly give her exciting subjects and plots for every new book!

Reviews

[Reading is my Escape · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wooly Worm Race
 
 
The afternoon knows what the morning never expected...
- Chapter 14
 
 

Ellis Coffey's 4th-grade teacher has them write each other's obituaries. This is what Geroge writes about Ellis:
 

Ellison "Ellis" Coffey lived his whole happy life in Banner Elk, North Carolina. His family ran a blueberry farm, and that's why Ellis's fingertips looked like ink. He loved animals and insects. He was very funny and had lots of friends. Mr. Turnmire called him our class-clown-but-with-brains. The world was a better place because Ellis lived in it.
 

Ellis's dad has a herniated disk in his back and has to spend most of his time lying flat. His mom works two jobs, along with making blueberry muffins, pies & jam to sell at the farmer's market. Ellis's dad needs an operation, but it costs $1,000 and they cannot afford it. 
 
Ellis finds a wooly worm (caterpillar) and it seems to respond to his words. So, Ellis decides that he is a worm whisperer and plans to enter his worm in the Wooly Worm Race. The prize is $1,000, and if Ellis wins, he will be able to pay the deductible for his dad's surgery.
 
This is a cute story and moves along quickly. Kids will enjoy reading about Ellis's worm training and the exciting conclusion at the race. Along the way, Ellis deals with school, bullies, friendship issues and figuring out who he is.
(Library copy)
 
Recommended to:
Readers in grades 3-5 who enjoy realistic fiction stories.

[Rudolph Ronswik · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to find a kid's fiction book about bugs (as in real bugs, not fantasy bugs or things like that), and that turned out harder than expected. After a couple of weeks, I finally got my hands on this one.

This is a deeply religious story, which you wouldn't get from the back or inside cover. I'd describe it as the book of Job that doesn't quite know how to stay on theme. Basic things get bad, the people you like die, but then you find new things and that's really cool. Things don't quite magically turn out alright in the end, there is some acknowledgement of the work the boy put in for the pay out at the end, but it spends all of its focus on the bug only to go "sike! idiot! It's the blueberries!". I just feel like we needed a lot more energy on the boy reluctantly helping the blueberry thing, even if just for the dramatic irony (or "that makes sense' hindsight) when he doesn't win the race but he still gets the money.

It gets points for being a contemporary about bugs and being set on a mountain that was part of my childhood stomping grounds, loses em for not advertising itself as being even half as religious as it is and almost just pulling the rug out from under ya at the end.

[Jessi Miller]

I won a copy of The Worm Whisperer by Betty Hicks in a giveaway for free on Goodreads First/Reads. Excited- I can not wait to receive my copy- will post a review once I've finished reading :)

[Cheryl · Rating 2 out of 5]

:sigh:

Dad needs surgery. They have insurance, but there's a 1K deductible. So, instead of getting a payment plan from the hospital for it, Dad just lays around the house all day. He could pay the 'loan' off promptly if he could back to work.

All they can afford to feed their growing boy is potatoes and other carbs (what about beans? Dried beans are extremely healthy and even cheaper). So, because of a feeling of being 'beholden' they let their neighbor's tomatoes go to waste instead of accepting the gift of them.

The title should be The Caterpillar Whisperer. Even Ellis knows that caterpillars aren't worms. But then, he takes one away from its habitat without having any idea how to feed it or what kind of furnishings it needs in its jar.

So far the Christian messages fit seamlessly into the story - that's just the kinds of people they are. But if there's some sort of miracle or gift from heaven I'm going to give this one star.
---
No miracle. But still, I don't agree with the way they're raising this kid. For example, Mom only has time to spend with the boy on Sunday, but of course she has to go back to church to do volunteer work after services. Well, at least there are no smart phones, computers, etc. in here. Just barely a TV for nature shows.

[Carin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ellis has to help out around the house in his rural North Carolina town. His father hurt his back and can't work, so his mother has three jobs and Ellis does everything he can (and being excellent example to kids about doing their chores). He wants to win the $1000 annual Wooly Worm race at the Wooly Worm festival and he thinks he has found the perfect Wooly Worm. Meanwhile he figures out that his classmates actually like him for him, not just because he's funny, he stands up to the bully, and he does help his family, just not in the way he thinks.

[Red · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book about an emotional boy who has problems with his family's finances, making friends, and being taken seriously. This book deals with life, death, letting go, and accepting defeat. It's a good quick read, under two-hundred pages and really really cute.

Props to it for having an insect protagonist or secondary character, for addressing animal nature, how animals are, and just being a good fun read. Really pleasant and highly recommend this one!

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun story about Ellis who thinks he can talk to wooly worms. He tries to train a wooly worm to win a race so he can win money to give to his parents so his dad can have back surgery. A story about family, friendship, and working hard.

[ObsidianWolf]

It was a book about a Caterpillar and yet they named it the WORM whisperer. Interesting.

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Sunshine State book that we read together as a family. Humorous and well written. I highly recommend.

[Jamie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not for me. Contains good life lessons and main character deals with hardships at home that some kids could relate to.

[Kathryn (Dragon Bite Books) · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Worm Whisperer by Betty Hicks, of which I won an ARC through Goodreads, is a solid piece of middle-grade realistic fiction. Stylistically, I have very little to say against it. Its language uses the proper tone for its audience. The details are all clear as a video. It avoids clichés. It captures the rural feel of Appalachian Banner Elk, NC.

A few words of caution before you take my word for it:

1) Betty Hicks is a sister from my alma mater; I’m biased, but I do think that she learned her lessons well (not all of us have).

2) My sister is currently attending Lees-McRae College in Banner Elk. I’ve visited the town and had a good long talk with a man who owns a store that sells woolly worm themed tourist goods, but I have never attended the Woolly Worm Festival.

MAJOR spoilers ahead!

Hicks had the gall to seem to kill the woolly worm, Tink, to which she had been making her reader and main character attached. I was impressed that she would do such a thing in a middle-grade book. Tink is essentially Ellis’ best friend and the only creature (apart from the duck, Puddles, and her ducklings, six of which Hicks does kill) with whom Ellis can be honest. Things seem to be tumbling apart and Hicks wisely has made victory at the Woolly Worm Festival important in so many ways for the charming Ellis that the reader is compelled to wonder how this can possibly end well. But end well it does—though not in the way that Ellis expects. Ellis’ loss at the Woolly Worm Festival is yet another bold decision by Hicks.

If there is one stylistic flaw it is that Hicks tries to include too much and impose too much significance upon details—like Puddles the duck and her dead ducklings. Ellis is dealing with so much in the story—his father’s injury, new responsibilities at home, an altered family dynamic, poverty, a boyhood crush, not being taken seriously by his peers, finding true friends, competition, a bully—that I’m not sure that his gripe with his mother, forced because of his father’s injury to work several jobs and become and absent parent, is given the attention necessary for me to feel that Puddle’s dead ducklings were more than a tangent. But I find this stylistic flaw a reasonably forgivable one—at least since it was not very strongly felt. It is more impressive to me that The Worm Whisperer can cradle as much as it does.

If I can say anything else against the story its that I’d have liked to spend a little more time in the happily ever after, to be reassured that the family dynamic returns to something more palatable to Ellis, that he can maybe hold hands with Alice, that he enjoy his friends’ company rather than feeling that he needs to perform his “class clown” role with them…. The ending is not abrupt, but it is brief, and focuses primarily on the rediscovery and coming resurrection of Tink, almost ignoring the plethora of other troubles with which Hicks has burdened Ellis.

The only reason for me to give The Worm Whisperer less than five stars is my proclivity to save-the-world fantasies over personal dramas.


Review originally published on my blog: http://550wordsorless.wordpress.com/2...

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is everything that I love about middle grade.

I picked up this book purely by accident. I was trying to ILL a number of books by another author and this one got in the mix. I picked it up this morning, realized it wasn't what I thought, started reading it and had devoured it in an hour.

Middle Grade authors like Betty Hicks aren't afraid to deal with the tough issues that kids are facing. What I liked about this book was that even though Ellis is dealing with problems at home, it really isn't the main focus of the book. It is, but in a way that simply acknowledges that families go through hard times and it isn't something to be ashamed about and it's okay to be sad or scared about it.

Ellis' mom is working odd hours at a job she hates to make ends meet since his dad has a herniated disk and they can't afford the copay for his surgery. Ellis has recently discovered a talent to be the class clown, but he also gets tired of the fact that now everything he says is taken for a joke. He loves bugs and big words and his relationships with the people around him are wonderfully authentic. It's refreshing to read about a boy who isn't a giant misunderstood troublemaker - one who is worried about his family, just starting to crush on the girl next to him in school, and amazed at the wonder of nature.

I highly recommend this book to anyone.

[Beverly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hicks' The Worm Whisperer is a great elementary read aloud. It's a heart warming story of young ellis Coffey who struggles to find his way at school and to help his family who has been struggling since his mom lost his job and his dad began having back troubles. Young readers will identify with the challenges Ellis faces at school - from becoming the class clown to dealing with a less than friendly classmate to wondering if a certain classmate likes wooly worms like he does. Adults will appreciate Ellis' strong character and he desire to help his family.

The Worm Whisperer is a strong well developed story. It is an easy read for students to read on their own or for a classroom read aloud. It would be a great companion book for a unit on animals (or worms) and would work well with character education units.

Fans of Clementine and Judy Moody & Stink will enjoy this quick read.

I will be adding it to the school library collection and will be putting it on my suggested 3rd, 4th and 5th Grades Summer Reading List.

[Jami Lowe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Absolutely a pleasure!

Could have done differently –
1. Probably was something, however, it’s a child’s book; geared to 8 to 12 year olds. (Though, it’s acceptable for all ages) and it’s just so sweetly done, I didn't see anything I’d change.

Awesomeness –
1. The boy talks to woolly worms and they seem to talk back. : )
2. Ellis’s love for his family and desire to help them.
3. The fact that Christianity is a part of his life. So rarely do I see that now-a-days. It is not what the book is about. I just liked that it’s part of his routine and his life, just as that Japanese clap at a Shinto shrine or the Buddhist chant or the Muslims bow.
4. Vocab! I learned what frass is and other uncommonly used words.
5. Taught me how to make butter
6. Solves problems without hitting. (Even though the boys really wanted to!)

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ellis is having a tough time. Everything in his family has changed. His dad injured his back, can't work and can't afford the deductible for the surgery to fix his back. His mom has to work two jobs, she is gone all the time, and there still isn't enough money. There is a local festival coming to celebrate the wooly worms who live in the area and thrive on local plants. Ellis discovers his skills with wooly worms and hopes to win the worm race and the $1000 first prize. I found this story to be simple and engaging in a limited way. It is a short book and a quick read. There are many sentiments expressed in effective ways. I found the faith expressed by Ellis's family, the student reaction to the class jerk (or bully) and the focus on vocabulary to be interesting aspects of the story. I'm pleased to see this one included on the Oklahoma Children's Sequoyah list for 2016.

[Mrs Mommy Booknerd http://mrsmommybooknerd.blogspot.com · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won this book through Good Reads First Reads Program! I was so excited too. My kids are getting close to reading chapter books and I want to have a stack ready when the time comes. I want to share my love of reading with my children.

Well, back to the book! I loved it. The story is solid. The characters are likable and the pictures throughout add a lot to the story. I cannot wait for both my boys to read this story. It teaches valuable lessons about hard work, family and love. It is everything I look for in this genre. If you have kids, pick up this book and read it together. You will not be disappointed!

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Class Clown Ellis loves animals. On a school field trip, he meets a woman who is a Horse Whisperer. Now Ellis thinks he might be able to talk to animals, too. With his father out of work, and his mother holding down 3 jobs, Ellis tries to help the family by finding and training the perfect Wooly Worm for a race that could win him $1,000; enough to get dad the surgery he needs to be able to go back to work. Ellis is a really nice kid, helpful funny and genuine. Hicks addresses bullying, family issues and friendship without getting sappy. This book would appeal to both boys and girls

Crossposted to kissthebook.blogspot.com CHECK IT OUT!

[Gail Shipley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eight-year-old Ellis gets along with animals and becomes a worm whisperer. When his dad needs $1,000 to pay for a much needed back surgery Ellis tries to win the money by entering a wooly worm into a race at the annual Banner Elk Woolly Worm Festival. Ellis runs into many obstacles and setbacks while training his worm. As the festival nears he finds himself spending more and more time in the kitchen helping prepare blueberry pies, muffins and breads for the festival. When the time for the festival arrives there is an interesting turn of events. This warm-hearted and at time funny story tells of family commitment and loyalty. This book is an easy read.

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a terrific middle-grade book about a boy named Ellis who lives on a blueberry farm. His cool dad has a herniated disk and needs back surgery to be able to work again - but the deductible is $1000. They don't have $1000. But that happens to be the grand prize for town's annual Wooly Worm Race. Does Ellis have abilities as a Worm Whisperer to win the prize to help Dad get his surgery?

This book exceeds the promise of its premise. I absolutely loved this heart-warming tale.

"The afternoon knows what the morning never expected," said Aunt Glory.

[Stephanie Tournas · Rating 4 out of 5]

A delightful middle-grade realistic novel about a boy, Ellis Coffey, who finds that his skills as a "worm whisperer" come in handy for his town's annual Wooly Worm Race. The worms in question are really caterpillars, and it's not just about the race. Ellis wants the prize money to help his Dad afford back surgery. Ellis is a character whom boys or girls can love - he loves animals, helps his Mom bake, does chores around the house and wants to help his family. He is funny, too. But can his friends take him seriously when the race means so much?

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a really cute, mostly lighthearted story about a boy whose family has fallen on hard times. He discovers he has a talent for communicating with animals and comes up with a plan to help "save" his family. It was a quick read that reminds me a little bit of Beverly Clearly stories. A dash of almost magic and a tidbit of drama give this story enough teeth to be interesting. I recommend this for upper elementary/middle-grades, especially those just delving into chapter books and moving beyond Junie B and the like.

[Lynda · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very cute story about a sensitive boy who loves animals and discovers that he has a way with wooly worms. He tries to win a contest so he can help his family have a back operation that his father desperately needs, and "talks" the wooly worms up the string. it's a very good animal/coming of age story for boys and I was entertained. However, I didn't like some of the inconsistencies - he loved reading about animals but there was a lot he didn't know about the wooly worm and he didn't research it like i would have expected.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Worm Whisperer is the story of Ellis, a boy who loves animals. His family is going through some difficult times since his father needs an operation but can't afford it. When Ellis finds a wooly worm that seems to understand him, he decides to enter her in the town's wooly worm race to try to win the $1000 his father needs. Along the way there are some challenges but overall not a whole lot happens in this book. It's quite an easy read with some heavy subject matter. My 8-year-old liked it but I am not sure how much of the poverty aspect she picked up on.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story of Ellis, a class clown 4th grader whose parents are going through rough times. Can he train his wooly worm to race her way to the grand prize of $1,000 at the annual Wooly Worm Festival and help his dad get back on his feet again? He certainly can try his best when he discovers he has a special connection with these little caterpillars. Ellis also learns that he doesn't have to be funny all the time to catch the attention of new friends. A lovely story about growth and achieving your goals.

[Debbie Graham · Rating 3 out of 5]

Caution; Christian religion is a feature in the book so depending on your readers, that could be an issue. That said it would be a decent read aloud for K-3, it is very positive upbeat book (inner me kept decrying the fact that if we had national healthcare the premise of the book would be a nonissue...) There really is a wooly worm race, something that could perhaps have been indicated in a preface or something.

[Cara · Rating 5 out of 5]

I hadn't heard anything about this book but picked it up from the library because the cover caught my attention. Twenty-pages into the book, I was hooked. Nothing fancy, just a good story with likable characters. There's just the right amount of tension that kids can relate to (being funny vs. being yourself; helping family vs. hanging out with friends, etc.). Would be a great book for kids to discuss.

[Cathy Blackler · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ellis, bound by familial responsibilities as a result of hard times, hatches a plan to help pay the deductible for his father's much-needed back surgery. Belief in himself is tested several times over as Ellis learns the true value of friendship. A nice story with a small town setting and a close-knit community interspersed with life science tidbits, such as the definition of frass.

[Julie Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a lovely book. Ellis was a great character. While reading it I had a moment of ... "I know where this is going" and then it didn't - ahhhh. Betty Hicks had some great lines - Aunt Glory had some in particular but my favorite was when Ellis was standing in the woods as the leaves were coming down and he "felt as if he were being bathed in a box of crayons" (pg. 24).

[Serina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best book evvvver! Lil boy is class clown. His dad needs back surgury an mom working late hours to meet ends. Boy wants to enter contest to race worms to win money for surgury. He finds he has talent for talkg to worms. Excellent read of how makes friends, helps fam w no attitude, an the heart of the worms will make u cry.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good story. Ellis has a lot to deal with between taking care of his dad and filling in for mom who is working so much. He decides to help out by winning the woolly worm race so dad can have his surgery and things can get back to normal. I liked it because it will show readers not to take things for granted.