Have you ever watched an eating contest? I will never forget watching a televised contest in which the contestants had to eat mayonnaise. Oh my! That was totally gross!
SLIDER by Pete Hautman involves eating contests, but fortunately mayonnaise is not on the menu.
David has come to the conclusion that his sole talent is eating. His older sister is basically perfect. Away at college, her grades are stellar and to his knowledge she has never done anything wrong. His brother, Mal, is autistic, but that's a word his family doesn't like to use. David feels stuck in the middle and totally ignored.
Fascinated by eating contests, David attempts to purchase a famous half a hot dog that was the downfall of one of his heroes. The "Gurge" lost a hot dog eating contest by half a dog, and when David sees it for sale on BuyBuy.com, he has to bid. When his bid mistakenly goes from $20 to $2000 and he realizes that's the amount now charged to his mother's credit card, he has to find a way to pay her back. What better way than winning the Pigorino's Pizza eating contest with a grand prize of $5000?
Author Pete Hautman takes readers on a humorous journey into the world of championship eating contests. From sliders to pizzas, David learns not only how to eat large volumes of food at break-neck speed, but he also learns the meaning of family and friendship. Perfect for middle grade readers.
