Plot Summary

The Forrester family - Mitch, Helen, Billy, and Woody - have just moved to a new town where Mitch is starting a new job. He and Billy are both worried about fitting into their new environment. It's worse for Billy as Woody, who is not worried about the move, is at that stage in his life where everything is simple and easy. Billy's first day at his new school does not go well when he gets into an altercation with the class bullies, led by Joe Guire. The altercation involves worms and him stating that he eats them all the time, which leads to all the bullies calling him "Wormboy". As such, Joe makes a bet that he can't eat ten (without vomiting), which is to take place the upcoming Saturday, with the last one to be consumed by 7pm. Despite having a notoriously weak stomach, Billy takes him up on the bet. As it starts, the only classmate on his side is Erika Tansy, a girl with a mind of her own. All the other boys follow Joe if only out of fear, especially as legend has it that the ring that Joe wears contains poison which will lead to a slow death if injected. The boys get into one misadventure after another as they try to find different places and increasingly disgusting ways to cook the worms before Billy consumes them. But by the end of the day, they all learn that there is strength in numbers in dealing with fear.—Huggo