The Worm Whisperer

Ellis's father has sustained a back injury that requires an operation, but the family can't come up with the deductible to finance it, despite the fact that Ellis's mother is working constantly to make ends meet. He manages a number of chores to help out but occasionally escapes to spend some quiet time in the forest neighboring his Banner Elk, North Carolina, home. And there Ellis discovers his possible potential: he appears to be able to communicate with animals. What if he can train a woolly worm to finish first in the town's Worm Festival Race? The prize money would enable his dad to get the surgery he needs, and Ellis would, in turn, swap his reputation as class clown for a more serious one. 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. Ellis's character (and his down-on-its-luck family) rings true; and no, he doesn't win the big prize, but he earns recognition and friendships. betty carter