Can you find an ant in the name Anthony? A black ant? A red ant? A fire ant? How about a carpenter ant? Or is the ant in Anthony not an insect at all?

Anthony Anteater likes to eat. But so do the hungry ants that have a habit of carrying away his food! Poor Antony is at his wits' end, until he has the clever idea of taking his breakfast somewhere those pesky ants cannot follow ...

“With a deft hand, Johnson shows us there's no such thing as "too young" when it comes to questioning big ideas like manhood, or even family.” –Jason Reynolds, New York Times bestselling author of Look Both Ways and Stamped Literary powerhouse and Coretta Scott King Honor- and Boston Globe / Horn Book Honor-winning author of The Parker Inheritance Varian Johnson explores themes of toxic masculinity and family legacy in this heartfelt, hopeful story of one boy discovering what it really means to be a man. SECRETS ARE ALWAYS A GAMBLE Ten-year-old Anthony Joplin has made it to double digits! Which means he's finally old enough to play in the spades tournament every Joplin Man before him seems to have won. So while Ant's friends are stressing about fifth grade homework and girls, Ant only has one thing on his mind: how he'll measure up to his father's expectations at the card table. Then Ant's best friend gets grounded, and he's forced to find another spades partner. And Shirley, the new girl in his class, isn't exactly who he has in mind. She talks a whole lot of trash -- way more than his old partner. Plus, he's not sure that his father wants him playing with a girl. But she's smart and tough and pretty, and knows every card trick in the book. So Ant decides to join forces with Shirley -- and keep his plans a secret. Only it turns out secrets are another Joplin Man tradition. And his father is hiding one so big it may tear their family apart...

Readers search for Anthony Ant through a series of underground mazes. Designed around the children's counting song "The ants go marching."

The story is about a Colony of Ants, with the main character being Anthony Ant. At the start of the story, Anthony is being made a Special Soldier to help protect the Colony and to protect the Queen. Anthony settles competently into his new role and is extremely efficient and well organised. Other Soldier Ants turn against him because they are irritated and annoyed by his perfection and try to ambush his day-to-day tasks. An unexpected attack takes place from rival ants and it is necessary that everyone's help and support is desperately needed. Anthony regains the respect of his colleagues for his bravery and they in turn support him in the battle against the enemy. There is tragedy, loss of life, emotional tension for families and individuals but Anthony sticks to his plan and is finally victorious.

Anthony Ant finds a treasure map under his bedroom floor and embarks on an adventure in search of Queen Annt's long-lost treasure of jewels