Helpful Score: 1
Max's little brother, Adam wasn't always such a twerp-until he got that ant colony for his birthday. And decided he was a big authority on ants. When Max teased Adam about eating his pet ants, he certainly didn't mean it. He just thought he could shut Adam up. But now the bet is on: Max must find someone to eat chocolate-covered ants. And it isn't going to be hime!
Helpful Score: 1
Grade 3-5-- Second grader Adam receives an ant colony for his birthday--without the ants. As he waits impatiently for them to arrive, he bones up on ant facts at the library, his mother worrying all the while about the insects getting loose in the house. When they finally arrive, older brother Max informs a disbelieving Adam that people eat chocolate-covered ants. If Max can prove that he is right, he'll win a bet with his brother. Disaster ensues; Mom calls off the bet, but Adam gets the last laugh. In Max' first-person narration, the deliberately paced story is precipitated by the arrival of the ant colony, and the plot is stretched from there. Ant jokes, riddles, and puns abound; the eating of chocolate-covered ants is gross and funny.