The Plant That Ate Dirty Socks

The Plant That Ate Dirty Socks

By: Nancy McArthur

Science Fiction

This book is an interesting chapter book that both 4th and 5th graders and even adults would enjoy. It talks about the life of two brothers who are extreme opposites. While Michael is a messy and leaves trash all over the floor of their bedroom, Norman is a neat freak and can't stand the way Michael is. While Michael was careless about how messy the room became, Norman struggled to keep Michael's mess from "leaking" onto his side of the room. After Michael receives two seeds in the mail...the fun begins. He and his brother then plant them and watch as they grow. While Michael feeds his plant junk food, Norman decides to feed his plant more healthy foods. Once both of the boys begin sneaking their plants fertilizer, both of the plants grow unexpectedly tall and the boys start to notice that their dirty socks are slowly disappearing. The brothers and their parents then struggle to keep their secret from their friends and community. This book was funny and kept me continuously wondering what would happen next.

An easy and fun way to implement this book in the classroom would be to let the students plant and grow their own plants throughout the school year. You could allow them to feed their plants any kind of food they want and see how it affects the growth of their plants. It can be really fun for children because they may decide to feed their plant junk food like Michael or basic plant foods. You could also discuss with students the life cycle of a plant and what kinds of things help plants grow. If students have not read the next book: "Return of the Plant That Ate Dirty Socks," you could have them write their own short story of what they think will happen next.