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376th out of 1,406 books
—
955 voters
The Word Eater
by
Mary Amato
Lerner finds a worm that magically makes things disappear and soon discovers that the extraordinary power it gives her brings extraordinary responsibility.
Paperback, 151 pages
Published
December 1st 2004
by Holiday House
(first published April 1st 2000)
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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 fin...more
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 fin...more
Aug 13, 2012
D'andre Anthony
added it
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 chall...more
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 chall...more
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 a...more
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 ne...more
Meanwhile, over at Cleveland Park Middle School, sixth grader Lerner Chanse is having life issues of her own. Being the ne...more
This is such a cute book for elementary school kids. I love the story line and the concept. How fun would it be to have a worm that could make words disappear. This is a story about a young girl who finds a "magical" worm. He does not like to eat dirt, but loves to eat words. When he eats a word like vending machine then all vending machines disappear. If this worm falls into the wrong hands then things could go wrong very fast.
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.
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.
Very cute and unique story. I found myself wondering how I would handle having little Fip and what I would have him eat (or not eat). I thought the ending was a great resolution to the main characters' conflict - one which I didn't consider when thinking about how I would resolve it myself. The whole story was a lot of fun and I've enjoyed sharing it with my 11 year old daughter.
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.
This was such a good book!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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!
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!
I loved this book it has been a while since I have read it so I don't remember what happened. I liked the main character lerner. I thought she was funny. I liked the little worm I forgot the name but I do know that it ate words. It was perfect for a fourth grader to read. I would recommend it to everyone.
This chapter books follows Lerner Chanse around at her new school. As Lerner believes she will be labeled a "SLUG," she finds a worm that eats printed words instead of dirt. Once the word is eaten, it is gone forever. Lerner has to make difficult decisions when she learns about Flip's magic.
This book is awesome! Its for second grade age, but who cares? I read it as part of a first and second grade book club, and it was cool. I recommend it if you just want to read a little kid book that is good, or if you are a little kid. Its about a worm.... read the book to find out the rest!!
I enjoyed the book for the thought process owning the worm involves. Having younger ones think about the consequences of their actions is definitely something worth writing about. I was truly touched when the worm was offered to eat the meanness of the dad... Beautiful scene!
Apr 19, 2010
Janessa
added it
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.
A very good read, creative and engaging. A girl finds a tiny worm that eats words, but whatever he eats disappears. The ramifications of what the girl chooses to have the worm eat are interesting and there is an interesting subplot with cliques. I will share this with my class.
Jul 10, 2009
Dominique
added it
The book was very good. You expect the people to know she has a magical worm. Everything is disappearing. But I learned is that taking away one thing can be a big change. Like global worming is killing Antartica and the polar bears.
Feb 18, 2009
Gabby
is currently reading it
so far its really good!learner has a worm that eats words instead of dirt.if the worm ate the word homework then there would be no more homework in the world!!so there are lots of ups and downs!!
Fip is a magical word eating worm. Lerner is at a new school and struggling to fit in. This unlikely pair team up with some interesting results. Great for discussing consequences to behavior.
If you had a little worm that could eat words, what words would you have the worm eat and what would be the consequences if it did? Read this as a 6th grade read aloud. Great discussion........
This book is kind of cheesy. It wasn't bad, just not great. An easy read for students still learning, but doesn't have a whole lot of depth to it. I will say that the main premise was pretty clever--that bumped it up to three stars.
This book was fun and thoughtful! The MC was admirable and thought through the consequences of her power before acting too rashly. Her name, Lerner, fits her well. It matches her charactrer. She learned from mistakes quickly before she made bigger mistakes. She tried to use her power only for the good. It had a satisfying ending.
It was a fantastic story and I enjoyed reading it. I adore Fip (the worm that eats words instead of dirt). Fip proved that he can survive. That's the spirit!
This is a cute book about a worm that eats words, then whatever the word represented disappears. It is a good book to discuss consequences.
Boy picked this one up at the library, and we're currently reading it at bedtime/storytime. So far, I'm impressed by the imaginative storyline and the grammatically correct vernacular.
May 02, 2009
Tiffany who finally decided to change her name
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Shelves:
awesome-title
It kind of teaches you not to mess around with things. Most of all, it's just a funny fictional/fantasy story. It's really good, though.
I read this because Donalyn Miller says it's one of her favorite read-aloud books. It was mildly entertaining, nothing special.
I loved this book. The plot is very unexpected and funny. I got it from Mrs. Bev Hennegen at Utica Elementary.
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Born January 3, 1961, in Belvidere, IL; grew up in Libertyville, Illinois; married Ivan Amato (a science writer); children: Maxwell, Simon. Pets: Sorry, none! Favorite food: Chocolate.
I studied special education and dance at Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana. In graduate school, I studied fiction writing and poetry at Johns Hopkins University in Washington, DC.
More about Mary Amato...
I studied special education and dance at Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana. In graduate school, I studied fiction writing and poetry at Johns Hopkins University in Washington, DC.
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“Words are so wonderful to read, so nourishing to the mind. But really! It's just a fantasy. One doesn't eat words! one reads them”
—
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