The Word Eater

by Mary Amato, Christopher Ryniak (Illustrator)

Life is miserable for sixth grader Lerner Chanse at her new shool, where the MPOOE (Most Powerful Ones On Earth) Club ruthlessly rules over the SLUGs (Sorry Losers Under Ground). It looks as if Lerner is destined to be a SLUG, until she finds a magical worm that eats printed words instead of dirt. If Fip eats a word, that item simply disappears from the world -- forever.

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Childrens, Middle Grade, Chapter Books, Young Adult, Humor

151 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2000

About the author

I write fiction for young adults and children and enjoy connecting with my readers. Adults (ages 18 and up) who are interested in writing, please check out my Meditative Art/Writing Workouts, a donation-based twice monthly online group.
https://www.maryamato.com/meditative-...

Reviews

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

I used to read this to my class every year when I taught 5th and 6th grade. But that's been about 15 years ago and I hadn't read it since. So I read it with my 5th grade daughter. It's a fun story, but I like it especially because there's a lot to talk about. Lerner is new at the school. She misses her old home and her best friend and her old school. Worse, her new school has the MPOOE club (Most Powerful Ones on Earth) and those who aren't part of the club are SLUGs (Sorry Losers Under Ground). So you can have great discussions about what it feels like to be new--or to undergo any big changes--bullying, cliques, peer pressure, etc. But my favorite part is that Lerner finds a small worm named Fip. Unlike most worms, Fip doesn't like the taste of dirt. What does he like? Words! One small (LARGE!) problem with that...when he eats a word, that object disappears. For example, he eats Mack's Thumbtacks and all of the thumbtacks from Mack's company disappear throughout the world. Lerner quickly learns that with great power comes tremendous responsibility. She makes a few poor decisions and a few good ones...and along the way makes an unexpected friend. Words ARE powerful...we should eat (I mean use) them with care. My 10 year old ended up really liking the book.

[Love Them · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVED this book!

I actually made a goodreads account just so I could come in here and review this book!

I read this book when I was maybe 8 to 10? That's when it came out and I got it at a scholastic book fair! And it has stuck with me all these years. It's such an amazing concept: A worm who eats words and then the object disappears from human existence forever!

Especially because the worm fell into the care of a nerd who was picked on (like me). It really made me feel exceptional reading about this newfound power of self worth after (almost) destroying some very important things!

I really think this book is a good read for EVERYONE and at 25 I just recommended it to my friend (who is a book lover and also 25!)

Great book Mary Amato!

[Tiffany · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m glad I read this middle reader book and I think I might add it to my “grandma library” someday. It’s a fun look at the power of our words.

[Sophia Barsuhn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is another book that a teacher read out loud to me as a child. In this case, it was the guidance counselor at the elementary school who read this to my third-grade class. This was a very quick, nostalgic read. It is very clever and never condescending; the small bits of the made-up Bellitan language are very amusing if you’re a linguist or know any Spanish or French. Mary Amato is an author who I really enjoyed as a kid, but appreciate her skill even more as an adult.

[Janessa]

I really did not love this book. It was kind of confusing for me to read and I am not sure how a younger child would feel about it. It is about a worm that eats words and when he does that word disappears from the world forever. The idea is really cool it was just hard read.

[elissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

We read and enjoyed this as a family read-aloud when my kids were about 5 & 7 or so. I'm surprised that I've forgotten to review it before now. My family knows the author, who has written lots of well-reviewed books.

[Westen Gunning · Rating 5 out of 5]

After finding a baby worm named fip, Lerner Chanse's life changes forever.
Fip turns out to be magical, and any word he eats disappears from the freaking PLANET. Lerner realizes that she can erase anything she wants with fip, but with great power comes great responsibility, so what will she do?

[Grace · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this as a bedtime book for a 10-year-old boy. It is so far the only book that he has actually stayed focussed on long enough to finish, so it certainly has his stamp of approval.

This is solidly a 'middle-grade' book. There were parts of it that were overly strange (the attackterriers and the children working in the factory), but I ended up actually being impressed by some of the bigger questions raised by the child characters. It even got the kid I was reading to to make a couple of comments about responsibility and thinking about consequences.

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this book. It keeps you on edge by having something important happen here and there. I usually find the beginning boring, but they introduced their characters an a cool way. I thought the plot was unique and good.

[Dorien · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wish my kid would actually read it instead of returning it to the library unread. It's the funniest kids book I've read in a long time. Good message too.

[Brenda · Rating 4 out of 5]

What does the birth of a worm and the initiation of a sixth grader have in common? Well in The Word Eater they begin in the same moment, neither go well and both set in motion actions that will change the world.

Reba – president of MPOOE (Most Powerful Ones on Earth) seems to rule sixth grade at Cleveland Park Middle School along with Randy. They have divided the class into members or SLUGs. Lerner has just moved to this school, this town, this state and she is not too impressed with what she finds. She doesn’t want to be a MPOOE, but she doesn’t want to be a SLUG either – she just wants to be left alone. With Reba around that doesn’t seem to be an option.

Meanwhile in a mud circle at the edge of the playground a worm emerges from its casing. The other worms of the clan sense its arrival and circle up for the naming waiting eagerly to sense the vibration. The worm is teeny – almost nothing at all, but it is able to move on little skinch to earn the name Fip. Once named, Fip is carried on to the eating ceremony, but Fip doesn’t seem to be able to stomach the taste of dirt. Fip’s clan always eats dirt and because he doesn’t hi is left on his own. He discovers he has a taste for sweet and crunchy, crisp and crinkly words. And what he eats disappears.

No one understands this at first, but soon Lerner catches on. She realizes that this worm, no bigger than a grain of rice has amazing power. She is the one who can use that power. Perhaps she will be able to undo all her recent moving misery. But while as Francis Bacon said, “Knowledge is power, “ he also said, “Appetite for too much power caused the angels to fall.” Lerner is faced with a dilemma – how can she best use this power? Should she? Can she changes things and make them better? Everything is connected. What would he do with the power to change the world?

[Jnase1 · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story started off very strange... in a clan of worms deciding the fate of its newest born member. Then it gets stranger when that worm, whose name is Fip, is left to die and ends up having a strange magical power. Whatever word it eats, that thing disappears. For example, it ate the name of a certain type of thumbtack and suddenly all those thumbtacks disappeared. Weird.

Meanwhile, over at Cleveland Park Middle School, sixth grader Lerner Chanse is having life issues of her own. Being the new girl at school, she desperately wants to fit in, but the MPOOEs (Most Powerful Ones on Earth) are making her life miserable and threatening to make her a SLUG (Sorry Loser Under Ground). Lerner just wants to go back to her old life in her old school and live in her old house, but that doesn't seem likely to happen.

These two unlikely heroes meet and form a special bond. Lerner quickly discovers Fip's special powers and must decide whether or not to use these powers for good or evil. Will the power go to her head? And will Fip and Lerner ever feel like they have a place to belong?

It took me a while to get into this strange story, but once I did, I really enjoyed it. Would make a good book for a book club discussion, especially a discussion on cliques and how people can feel left out in certain situations.

[Kparisenararatcharterschool.Com · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lerner Chanse... Fip... the MPOOE (Most Powerful Ones on Earth) vs SLUGs (Sorry Losers Under Ground)...


Lerner is new to the school, and the MPOOEs want her to erase a grade in the teacher's book... or else, she'll default to the SLUGs...

until sees Fip on the window sill... Fip is a baby worm, who is ostracized by his kind because he won't eat dirt... he likes to eat words... and when he eats a word, that thing disappears...
like - Jay's Star (newly identified), spinach souffle, Vending Machine 203, photosynthesis exam, Ripper, the Attackaterrier, attacka (left the terrier), a teacher's suit, Bobby Nitz's dad's meanness...


and unexpected things happen...

[Carol Royce Owen · Rating 4 out of 5]

After having just read Guitar Notes, I thought I'd look to see what else Mary Amato has written and saw this title and realized it has been on my bookshelf for a while. So glad I did because it's a fun fantasy that deals with bullying and that ever-present desire to fit in. Sixth grader, Lerner Chanse has just moved to a new school in a new state, and is NOT happy about it. At this school she funds that 6th grade is divided between the MPOOEs (Most Powerful Ones On Earth) led by Reba who determines initiations for new students, and the SLUGS (Sorry Losers Under Ground), those who didn't pass the initiation. Lerner does NOT want to be a Slug because that would mean she was no better than her new neighbor, Bobby, who has been nothing but annoying since her arrival.

Lerner's attention changes, however, when she discovers a small worm that has a unique ability. Rather than eating dirt this worm has a taste for words, but there's a problem with that. It seems any word, or words he eats causes the disappearance of that item all over the world! When Lerner learns this she is determined to change some things, but quickly learns that this magic is quite powerful and can be used both for good and bad.

[D'andre Anthony]

1.I like the book because it has advnture and mystery.In page number 10 lerner found a worm eating words that said macks thumbtacks and was going to pick it up.Also in page number 25 lerner saw the worm eating photosynthesis and in 5 min photosynthesis was gone.

2.I think my auntie would like this book because it is about advnture mystery and worms. Also my auntie likes books that has advnture mystery and worms.she is always reads books that has worms in it.

3.I think the thing that was most challenging to me was the setting. In my book there was more than one setting so when i try to think of one setting in the book but all the other setting in the book keep on coming in my head

4.In my book the person i liked the most is lerner because she was really nice.when people would make fun of her she wouldnt care what they was saying.she made friends who were also made funny of and i think that was very nice of her.

[Maggie Klipp · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book follows a young girl in elementary school who finds a worm that eats words. What she did not know was that when the words were eaten, that aspect of something or that something would disappear forever within the context of the sentence the word was taken from. Many events transpire as a result of the worm eating certain words that have dire consequences for companies and people alike. For example, when certain words are eaten, dogs that are trained to be vicious and unrelenting as guard dogs in the cruelest way are made into nice, docile dogs that any person would be happy to have in their lap. This book emphasizes the importance of words and the context in which they are placed in a unique and creative way. It teaches children and reminds adults of the importance of both of those things both when speaking and writing.

[Liam · Rating 2 out of 5]

it was fine but i didn't enjoy it

[Bill Prosser · Rating 3 out of 5]

Found this while going through the shelves for "under used" books! It's from 2000, but the story is pretty good, and the concept is even better. A student finds a worm that eat printed words, and then whatever word is eaten, all of those things disappear from the world. It has great potential for discussion and writing about what would students choose for the worm to eat, and the ripple effects that would have in the world. It also has the idea of popular kids vs. the unpopular kids, and how that gets decided.

[Steve Clark · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is definitely a KID'S book, but a fun one that is not like everything else out there. Very simple story with a pretty fantastic premise (a worm eats words off the page, causing whatever it eats to disappear from the world) but eventually it approaches some fairly sophisticated ideas--given that it's addressed to 3rd-5th graders. The responsibility that comes with power, the problem of unexpected/unforeseen consequences, and the beauty and power of words (along with issues of peer pressure and prejudice) are ideas worth considering, and this book lets them be introduced in a fun way.

[Barb Keltner · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kind of an clever book about a young girl who, amidst some intense cliques in her class, finds a way to make things disappear when her strange little worm eats the word describing them. Like the attack dog next door. But when she realizes the unique power the worm has, a huge responsibility accompanies this as she decides how to use it. Kind of a heavy topic approached in a fun and sometimes touching manner.

[Kesha · Rating 4 out of 5]

This magical tale has so much potential, however Lerner Chanse (what a great character name)annoyed me as since she was so careless with the magical, word eating worm. I could not imagine a possessor of a gem like Fip, the magical worm, revealing its abilities so willy nilly. The denouement is a clever one. Overall the story is a clever, quick read with weak character development. Bobby Nitz is the most believable character.

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think I have read this book too many times. But I have always thought it was such a cool book.

It is an easy read, yes. But I think, in some respect, it is a classic, which is why I have read it so much.

I don't feel like writing a summary, and this is a 'review' anyways (or it supposedly is...). But if you haven't read it, do read it at some point. It is a quality book, even though it is meant for 'younger readers.'

[Shauna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this sixth grade book in one setting. I like words, and I like stories about kids. What can I say? What did I learn?

Well, it is bad to do big things without thinking about the consequences. Lerner, the main character in the story has a worm that eats words. And when she eats the words, things happen.

If you want to know more, read the book.

[Tori · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a good book!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Ellen Brandt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lerner, a new kid at Cleveland Middle School, finds a magic worm who can make things disappear simply by eating the words that define them. Will this secret power help Lerner fit in at school? Can it make the whole world a better place? or will it just wreak havoc? A very creative story for middle grade students!

[Mrs. Brandt]

Lerner, a new kid at Cleveland Middle School, finds a magic worm who can make things disappear simply by eating the words that define them. Will this secret power help Lerner fit in at school? Can it make the whole world a better place? or will it just wreak havoc? A very creative story for middle grade students!

[Sadie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this for our library's mother/daughter book club that my daughter and I participate in. It is a cute story about dealing with peer pressure and accepting responsibility for you actions as well as the consequences. My daughter hasn't finished it yet, but seems to be enjoying it. I liked it for what it was, but is not a book that will reach out beyond the target audience.

[Katt Hansen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ooooh....cool premise on this one. What if you found a worm that was so magical that whatever word it ate would DISAPPEAR completely? ah, the temptations!

This was an amazing little book with some serious lessons hidden inside a story of bullying and peer pressure. I liked it, and I like how the whole issue was resolved in the end. Yes, I'd recommend this one.

[Mandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute little story that could provoke some good discussion. A girl finds a worm who eats written words, but when he does those words disappeared in the real world. It starts off small, with all of the thumbtacks disappearing, but when the kids at school try to make the whole school disappear, something must be done.

[Catherine · Rating 3 out of 5]

This fun little book shows the value of words - what happens when they are taken away and how we should be careful with our words. I like that this books shows how even good people can make mistakes and people we think are bad can have good in them.

I want a worm eater to get rid of cancer, seizures, and depression.