Should you bring the kids? Yes, although my kids were so grossed out by the trailers, I couldn't get them to go see this with me. I covered my eyes during some of the worm scenes, but believe it or not, it's a really sweet story.

THE STORY: Feeling hungry? How about a worm shake? Maybe a tasty worm sandwich? I know – disgusting! Despite the gross premise, this movie can teach kids a lot about how to deal with bullies and stand up for themselves.

Based on the popular book by Thomas Rockwell (son of artist Norman Rockwell), this movie revolves around 11-year-old Billy Forrester (Luke Benward), who ticks off the school bully, Joe Guire (Adam Hicks) on his first day at a new school. When Billy opens his lunch thermos to reveal a mess o' worms, Joe mocks him, asking if he eats worms a lot. "Why, yeah, I eat 'em all the time," says Billy. "Ya wanna try one?" And with that, he tosses one of the slimy creatures to the bully, only to have it land smack on his face.

Thus sets off a challenge that has Billy agreeing to eat ten worms over the course of the day, all without throwing up. You can imagine that some of the recipes – provided by the bully's "gang" - get pretty creative. The worms are fried, whirled into a blender, cooked up with veggies, nuked in the microwave (not good). They have such entertaining names as Barfmallow and Radioactive Slime Delight.

Meanwhile, Billy's dad (Thomas Cavanagh) is having a tough time adjusting to his new job, and Billy's mom (Kimberly Williams-Paisley) is busy looking after his younger brother (Ty Panitz). Hallie Kate Eisenberg plays an adorably gawky girl who understands Billy's plight because she towers above her classmates.

As with other books-to-movies produced by Walden Media – Holes, Hoot, and The Chronicles of Narnia, to name a few -- this movie is well made, even if it strays a bit from the book's details (one day for the worm challenge, as opposed to two weeks). The sweetness of the story and the friendships Billy develops are at the heart of this movie. And the kids seem like "real" kids! Not the Hollywood version we usually get in movies.

Interestingly, the inspiration for the book came from a disappointing meeting Thomas Rockwell had with an editor. Frustrated that the book he'd just written didn't go over very well, Rockwell felt like he should just go home and eat fried worms. Thus, the book – and movie – were born.

One little suggestion: You might want to skip that spaghetti dinner before seeing this movie. Trust me on this.

PARENTS SHOULD KNOW: This movie is gross! Which is probably why it will appeal to fourth-graders everywhere. There's also some crude potty humor and mild profanity, as well as name-calling and bullying. But the message is straightforward and simple: It's okay to stand up for yourself, and sometimes, you have to eat worms (or in grown-up terms, do something you don't want to do) in order to gain the courage needed to get by in this crazy world.

BRINGING THE KIDS: 

PRESCHOOLERS (ages 2-5): With older-kid themes dominating this movie, a better alternative is "Miss Spider's Sunny Patch Friends," an animated show based on the books by David Kirk. It's a bug's-eye view of a woodsy wonderland that shows preschoolers how to get along with – and put up with! – other people.

GRADE-SCHOOLERS (ages 6 - 10): Because the kids act like "real" kids, this movie will go over well with this age group (if you can get them to see it). It has good messages about standing up for yourself, following through (no matter how gross the task), and dealing with bullies. Although you might want to give them the "don't try this at home" speech.

TWEEN / TEEN (ages 11+): In an era when contestants on reality shows win big bucks for eating worms (among other things), this movie might have some appeal for tweens and teens. At least in THIS story, the worms are used as a catalyst for standing firm in your convictions. It's also good motivation to read the book, first published in 1973. Who knows? It just might spur some excitement in your reluctant readers. The movie probably falls a little too "young" for teenagers, though.