Synopsis
Richard is excited about the "Invent a Cereal" class project, but he's not so excited about having Kevin, the school bully, for his partner. Inspired by the class pet, a tarantula, Richard works hard on his Crunchy Critters cereal. He thinks it's sure to top his classmates' projects, even if he does have to do all the work himself. And when he decides to stand up to Kevin on behalf of a frightened second grader, Richard worries that the project, and his well-being, might suffer the consequences. But all's fair in cereal and war, and it's Tarantula Power to the rescue!
Children's Literature
When Mrs. Steele asks her class to "invent a cereal" as a class project, Richard is sure that he has the best idea, as well as the knowledge to make his project the best. However, his enthusiasm is tempered when Mrs. Steele pairs him with the class bully, Kevin, and instructs them to work together on a variety of assignments. The situation worsens when Richard realizes that Kevin is picking on bespectacled second-grader Sam. Richard decides that he is going to help Sam gain the courage to stand up to Kevin, and he uses the class tarantula, Ruby, to help Sam do it. The results are both educational and hilarious, especially when Sam and Richard trick Kevin into eating brownies with crickets cooked into them. The black and white illustrations throughout the story give wonderful life to the individual characters—as well as to the tarantula! The characters help bring home the point that individuals can learn to stand up for themselves and that bullies can learn the error of their ways. There is also a lot of fun and useful information about insects in the book that will make this book appeal to young readers. This is a solid choice for librarians and teachers who are looking for a way to broach the subject of bullying with their students.