From Charlesbridge children’s books publishing comes Wiggle and Waggle by Caroline Arnold and illustrated by Mary Peterson. This beginning reader chapter book is about two friends – Wiggle and Waggle – who dig tunnels in the dirt and have fun together singing, swimming and picnicking.

Nathan and Lucie got a big kick out of this book while I had problems telling which worm was Wiggle and which one was Waggle. This would be a good choice for a first or second grader to read, and anyone under that age to be read to.

Things to do with Wiggle and Waggle:

• Visit their MySpace page.
• Watch the Wiggle and Waggle YouTube movie.
• Download a Wiggle and Waggle Activity Kit.

Some wormy food ideas

From MarthaStewart.com Kids comes Worm Ice:

Breed gummy worms in ice and infest a cold Halloween drink. Put the worms in an ice-cube tray, letting them stick out of the top and sprawl over the edges, and fill tray with water; freeze. Add cubes to a clear beverage, and watch as kids squirm with delight.

Besides gummy worms, you can cook up some spaghetti. (Spaghetti’s worm-ish, right?) Martha has some great ideas for various types of pasta pies, like Eleanora’s Spaghetti Pie. We made Rigatoni Pasta Cake over the weekend, which was a big hit with the kids (we adults liked the leftovers, too). And even though I didn’t follow Martha’s directions exactly, the cake held together and was delicious.

Rigatoni Pasta Cake
Serves 8 to 10

Ingredients:

1.   Salt
2. 1 pound rigatoni pasta
3. 2 tablespoons olive oil
4. 1 pound ground meat (beef, pork, or turkey) – I used ground Italian sausage made from venison
5. 2 garlic cloves , minced
6. 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
7. 1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes – I used a 14 oz. can of sauce and a 14 oz. can of diced tomatoes.
8. Butter, for pan – I used cooking spray instead
9. 1 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese (or use the “sprinkle cheese” from the can – I won’t tell)
10. 8 ounces coarsely grated mozzarella cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Bring a large pot of water to a boil; add salt. Add pasta; cook until slightly underdone. Drain, rinse in cold water, and drain. Toss pasta with 1 tablespoon oil to coat. Set aside.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add meat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, about 10 minutes. Add garlic, 1 teaspoon salt, and pepper. Cook 2 minutes more. Add tomatoes; simmer until thickened, about 20 minutes.
3. Spray a 9-inch springform pan. Take Parmesan cheese (if you use the kind of of the can) to “flour” the pan. Toss pasta with Parmesan cheese and meat sauce.
4. Now Martha would like you to pack the pasta into the pan standing each piece on end. Ha, ha, ha – like I have an hour to do that. Instead I tossed the pasta with the Parmesan cheese and meat sauce and put it into the pan. Bake 10 to 15 minutes.
5. Remove pan from oven and sprinkle mozzarella on top. Bake until cheese is pale golden, 10 to 15 minutes more.
6. Remove from oven, and let stand 15 minutes. Run a knife around edge to loosen; unmold. Cut into wedges.

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