Banned Books Review #8
Written by ediblewoman
How to Eat Fried Worms, by Thomas Rockwell, tells the story of a bet, fifteen worms, a whole bunch of bickering. Published in 1973, it was a respected work of children’s literature until the 1990’s, when book bashing became fashionable. Rockwell’s cautionary tale about keeping your word and playing fair came under fire in the ‘90’s for promoting unacceptable, anti-social behavior in the form of worm-eating.
This is another case of parents missing the point. Yes, the four main characters make a bet, which could be called gambling, if one wants to get all moralistic about it. And yes, Billy eats fifteen worms in fifteen days, which is generally not socially acceptable behavior. And yes, the boys fight a lot. But in the end, the cheaters do not prosper, Billy does not back down, and his perseverance pays off.
The parents in the book provide the real role models. Billy’s parents are alarmed by the revelation that he has been eating worms, but rather than react reflexively, they investigate whether the worm-eating will harm him. When they find out that it is perfectly safe, they do everything in their power to help Billy keep his word and win the bet. Alan and Joe, the antagonists, attempt to defraud Billy several times throughout the story. One late night when Billy announces to the neighborhood via loudspeaker that Joe and Alan tried to cheat, Alan’s dad makes him and Joe go door to door apologizing to every neighbor who might have been woken up by the announcement. The kids are made to take responsibility for their actions. This kind of parenting has fallen out of favor. It is much easier to eliminate anything that might lead to bad behavior, and then, when bad behavior inevitably happens, blame some external cause.
This is what book banning is all about. If children are not exposed to media that requires discussion, parents have an easier job. So what if kids are denied the opportunity to think critically and learn from another’s experience? There isn’t time to discuss the moral of the story when the kids have soccer practice in ten minutes!
How to Eat Fried Worms is not the best book ever--I give it three out of five stars—but it is fun, kids like it, and if an adult sits down to discuss it with them, they will make important connections to their own lives and friendships. They will not run out and eat worms or develop a gambling problem.
How to Eat Fried Worms
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