History Literature / GoEatWorms

It was adapted into [[Recap/GoosebumpsS2E6GoEatWorms the sixth episode of the second season]] of the TV series, with a novelization based on the episode being released as book 9 of the ''Goosebumps Presents'' series.

It was adapted into the sixth episode of the second season of the TV series, with a novelization based on the episode being released as book 9 of the ''Goosebumps Presents'' series.

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!!The episode provides examples of:

* AdaptedOut: Patrick [=MacKay=], Mr. Barstow, and plenty of teachers at school are all absent in the episode. In fact, the Science Expo that was mentioned frequently is not shown at all.
* AdaptationalAlternateEnding: The book version has Todd take up butterfly collecting, [[spoiler: only to get attacked by a giant butterfly]]. In the episode, Todd goes fishing, only to get pulled underwater by vengeful fish. They spare him when he promises not to fish anymore, but make him swim back. It is also possible that [[AttackOfThe50FootWhatever this fish was a gigantic one in a similar case with the giant worm]]. Either this, or worse still, considering how the scenario visually plays out, he was turned into a fish himself.
* CreepyCave: Todd stumbles upon a cave while out in the dark to collect worms. This cave turns out to be ''covered'' with worms that slither all over him, including [[spoiler: a giant one]].
* DeathByAdaptation: Todd's fate is left ambiguous but [[WordOfGod the writer Rick Drew]] confirmed that [[spoiler: Todd dies in the end]].
* LighterAndSofter: Todd's TroublingUnchildlikeBehavior is heavily toned down; although he plays a couple of pranks on his sister, he's nowhere near the borderline sociopath in the book, and in fact comes off more sympathetically since it's shown that he's bullied in school for his obsession about worms.
* RaceLift: Danny, who is described as red-haired in the book, is black in the TV adaptation.

** Danny, while disgusted with some of the worm habits that were occurring around Todd, he eventually became amused at it. He thought it was hilarious that some of them ended up in Todd's notebook during math class, and jokingly said that he's saving them for lunch.

* ContrivedClumsiness: While burning inside with jealousy over Patrick's worm project, which is [[spoiler: a worm ''skyscraper'']], he suddenly has an urge to "accidentally" bump the table, which would send the project toppling down and breaking, leaving only Todd's worm project left standing. Yet, he doesn't do it. [[spoiler: Although, he DOES end up doing it by accident when Regina pushes him in a fit of fury]].

* NoGoodDeedGoesUnpunished: [[spoiler: The giant worm that appears starts dragging Todd down into the ground. Danny rushes to Todd's aid and tries to get him out of the worm's grasp, only to be sucked in himself. And if the girls hadn't arrived with Christopher Robin to save them, Danny probably would have been a goner too]].

* SpaceWhaleAesop: The "moral" of the book is basically "don't abuse insects or their giant counterparts will get you", which doesn't work since giant worms/butterflies aren't real, and also counts as a BrokenAesop since the worm is scared off before it can kill the protagonist. [[spoiler: At the end there is another example, as Todd takes to pinning butterflies instead, only to get attacked by a giant butterfly with a pin, the implication being he is going to be ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice. It makes far more sense if you read the aesop as "Don't be mean to animals or there will be monstrous consequences".]]
* StartXToStopX: [[spoiler: This is Regina's plan throughout a large chunk of the story in order to stop Todd's pranks involving worms. Because she's so angry with Todd and saw him slice a worm in half, she puts worms in all his stuff to make it seem as if they're out to get him. She is thrilled when this leads to their father forcing Todd to give up his worm farm, and even more when he actually gets over his obsession altogether]].

* GoryDiscretionShot: [[spoiler: The book ends with Todd jus about to be terribly killed by major impalement. Of course, considering that such a graphic death cannot be depicted in a children's book, this isn't shown in text]].

* MothMenace: [[spoiler:In the last chapter, Todd, having gotten over his worm obsession, has moved on to torturing butterflies instead. At the end, a giant butterfly with an equally-giant metal pin shows up to even the score.]]

* RapidFireBut: When Todd and Danny are digging for worms at the baseball field in the beginning of the book, they feel the ground beneath them begin to shake, causing the boys to run to the lunch room and yell out there's an earthquake. Regina and Beth, whom are in the room at the time, tell them that they didn't feel anything so there's no earthquake. A shaken Todd responds with this trope.
* RedHerring: The book initially points to [[spoiler: Patrick [=MacKay=], a rich boy who is in Regina's class, to be Todd's rival. He creates another (and better) worm project for the Science Expo, and seems to be the one behind the pranks that keep happening to Todd. But he actually lost interest and is doing comics, and the one who is really pranking Todd is Regina. One could argue that the whole science fair is a RedHerringTwist]].

* SureLetsGoWithThat: At school, Danny approaches Todd and asks him how last night went. As Todd was caught by his father trying to watch the worms in his basement last night and ordered by him to throw his collection out today, a depressed Todd is about to tell Danny. But that's when they're interrupted by [[spoiler: Regina and Beth, whom are having a conversation out of sight from the two listening boys, discussing how Regina was the one who was putting worms in Todd's belongings and how she's excited that he has to give up his worm collection. After they leave, Danny asks Todd if he can believe it, to which Todd pretends that he knew this whole time that Regina was up to this]].