Synopses & Reviews
You've heard of Horse Whisperers and Dog Whisperers, but Ellis thinks he might be a Worm Whisperer!
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 is right and he can train his woolly worm to be the fastest in the county, 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 seemed.
Review
"A satisfying ending neatly wraps up this warm story, and Hatkes occasional line drawings will add appeal for middle-grade readers." -- Kirkus Reviews
Review
"A satisfying ending neatly wraps up this warm story, and Hatkes 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 dont 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. Hatkes expressive illustrations perfectly capture the books 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.