The Bookworm

Max wants a pet, but mum and dad don’t want a puppy, a kitten, a shark or a dragon. It’s so not fair! Max decides to find himself a pet, but it’s not easy – birds are chatty but don’t want to live in houses and wasps don’t mind living in houses, but aren’t that friendly. Finally, Max finds a worm for a pet and brings it home to live in a bowl of earth in his room.

Excitingly, the worm loves listening to Max read books; it also loves curry and extra hot chilli crisps. Yet when the worm starts to change, Max realises it isn’t a worm at all… Will Max’s pet still come home for a book at bedtime? Or has it grown too big and dangerous for stories?

Debi Gliori’s heartwarming tale of a boy and his unusual pet’s relationship is full of the everyday magic that stories bring, being firmly rooted in Max’s home life and the relatable desire for a pet that is so common for young children, while also being a tribute to the transformative nature of reading.