The Worm Whisperer - by Betty Hicks (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

You've heard of Horse Whisperers and Dog Whisperers, but Ellis thinks he might be a Worm Whisperer! When his family falls on hard times, Ellis thinks his weird skill might be able to help.

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 can train his woolly worm to be the fastest in the country, while dealing with a crush and a bully at school, 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 seem.

Praise for The Worm Whisperer:

"A satisfying ending neatly wraps up this warm story, and Hatke's occasional line drawings will add appeal for middle-grade readers." --Kirkus Reviews

Review Quotes

"A satisfying ending neatly wraps up this warm story, and Hatke's occasional line drawings will add appeal for middle-grade readers." --Kirkus Reviews

"[an]empathic story." --Publishers Weekly

"Within this light novel Hicks unobtrusively includes classroom-friendly features, such as a weekly vocabulary lesson and information about metamorphosis, but these elements don't interfere with the trajectory of the story line." --The Horn Book

"Hicks writes with a gentle, sure hand, bringing to life the rural North Carolina setting. Hatke's expressive illustrations perfectly capture the book's emotional warmth." --School Library Journal

About the Author

Betty Hicks is the author of the Gym Shorts series as well as novels Get Real, Out of Order, Busted! and I Smell Like Ham. She lives in Greensboro, North Carolina.

Ben Hatke is the author/illustrator behind Zita, the Spacegirl. He lives in the Shenandoah Valley with his wife and a boisterous pack of daughters.