Synergy: Celebrating Insects

INSECTS are small invertebrates. These arthropods usually have six legs and one or two pairs of wings. They also have a well-defined head, thorax, and abdomen. Although they are sometimes considered pests, they serve essential roles in nature.

To understand a concept, it’s useful to read a cluster of books related to a theme. Explore these recently published books for young people:

WHAT’S INSIDE A CATERPILLAR COCOON? written by Rachel Ignotofsky answers commonly asked questions about moths and butterflies. This beautifully illustrated picture book brings the insect world alive for young readers. ARC courtesy of Crown Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Penguin Random House.

PLEASE DON’T BITE ME!: INSECTS THAT BUZZ, BITE, AND STING written by Jazzy Pakpour and illustrated by Owen Davey examines pesky insects including lice, mosquitoes, wasps, cockroaches, bedbugs, and fleas and the reasons they’re often misunderstood. Children will enjoy the simple, attractive illustrations and interesting scientific facts. ARC courtesy of Flying Eye Books, an imprint of Penguin Random House.

CATERPILLARS: WHAT WILL I BE WHEN I GET TO BE ME? written by Kevin McCloskey is part of the Giggle and Learn series. Combining scientific information with a fun approach, learners explore the life cycle of moths and butterflies along with their important role as pollinators. Of particular note is the picture book’s use of speech bubbles and other sequential art techniques in storytelling. ARC courtesy of TOON Books, an imprint of Astra Publishing House.

IT IS TIME: THE LIFE OF A CATERPILLAR by Lizzy Rockwell is a science book for beginning readers. Exploring the life cycle of a butterfly, the book uses short sentences and key terms to introduce the science concepts through an engaging story. ARC courtesy of Holiday House.

EYEWITNESS INSECT from DK is a highly-illustrated reference book exploring a wide range of insects. This newly updated DK Eyewitness Book provides information about anatomy, behavior, habitats, and compares related creatures. ARC courtesy of DK.

Synergy: Insects

Insects are small arthropods with six legs. Generally, insects have one or two pairs of wings. These small invertebrate animals have segmented bodies, jointed legs, and external skeletons. They are sometimes referred to as bugs.

Read the recently published nonfiction book, then learn more at the website:

BUZZKILL: A WILD WANDER THROUGH THE WEIRD AND THREATENED WORLD OF BUGS by Brenna Maloney and illustrated by Dave Mottram is an informational picture book exploring the world of insects. Children will enjoy the humorous, conversational approach to the important role insects play in our lives. Of particularly note are the many fascinating examples and colorful illustrations sure to engage young readers. ARC courtesy of Henry Holt and Company, an imprint of Macmillan.

INSECTS from DK Findout! provides photographs and information about a wide range of insects including ants, beetles, butterflies, moths, bees, wasps, damselflies, dragonflies, grasshoppers, and crickets. In addition, readers learn about types of insects, useful insects, and more. A quiz provides the chance for readers to test their knowledge.

To visit the website, go to https://www.dkfindout.com/us/animals-and-nature/insects/.

Book Review: Do Doodlebugs Doodle?

DO DOODLEBUGS DOODLE by Corinne Demas and Artemis Roehrig is a humorous information book exploring the names of insects.

This attractive picture book asks silly questions about bugs with funny names such as dragonflies, horseflies, and stink bugs. Although the questions are humorous, the answers are rooted in accurate and fascinating scientific fact. The book concludes with a review of the insects discussed.

Librarians will find this book to be a popular addition to the science collection. The predictable format makes the book a fun read-aloud for preschool and primary grade children. Create a game asking children to identify real and fake insect names.

Published on April 5, 2018 by Persnickety Press. ARC courtesy of the publisher.

Book Review: Insects

INSECTS: THE MOST FUN BUG BOOK EVER by Sneed B. Collard is a nicely organized informational book exploring the science of bugs.

Although presented in a picture book format, this work of nonfiction is a well-research science book featuring a conversational narrative, detailed explanations, and age-appropriate humor. The high-quality close-up photographs and useful sidebar notes add to the visual appeal.

Organized into very short chapters, the book contains a table of contents and index that are easy for children to use. In addition, the author provides a learn more section, information about insect names, and a glossary.

Although many bug books already fill library shelves, librarians will find this book to be a worthwhile addition. Short chapters focusing on key concepts such as defense and chemical communication make it particularly useful for student research projects.

To learn more about the author, go to http://www.sneedbcollardiii.com/.

Published by Charlesbridge, an imprint of Random House on March 21, 2017. ARC courtesy of the publisher.

Book Review: The Orphan Army

THE ORPHAN ARMY by Jonathan Maberry is the first book in the new Nightsiders fantasy series.

When Earth is invaded by aliens, young Milo becomes part of a group of scavengers helping soldiers in a remote area of the Louisiana bayou. During a scouting expedition, Milo stumbles upon magical creatures who are also battling the alien invaders. Together, they form a ragtag army, save their friends, and take back an ancient, magical artifact stolen by the evil Huntsman.

This fast-paced, science fiction adventure is well-written with engaging plot elements that keep the heart-pounding tension going from start to finish. Middle grade readers will enjoy the banter among the well-developed fantasy creatures reminiscent of Guardians of the Galaxy. The author skillful interweaves dream segments and diary entries to add appeal.

With both giant bug aliens and magical creatures, this new series will appeal to a wide range of fantasy and science fiction fans. Youth will be begging librarians for the next book in this hot new series.

To learn about the author, go to http://www.jonathanmaberry.com/.

Published by Simon & Schuster, May 19, 2015.

Tech Review: Expedition: Insects

EXPEDITION: INSECTS by the Smithsonian Science Education Center is an ebook exploring the exciting world of insects.

From deadly hornets to stealthy stink bugs, young readers will enjoy learning about six different types of insects in their natural habitats from around the world. Designed for grades 3 through 5, interesting text and colorful images will appeal to science students. In addition to insect facts, the informational text also provides suggestions for ways that youth can observe nature.

Short video clips, interactive images, sounds, and links to key terms will maintain students interest and promote scientific understandings. Animated maps help children connect world geography to their exploration of insect habitats and an interactive sketchbook encourages young artists.

The iBook interface divides that book into eight chapters investigating the blue morpho butterfly, Asian giant hornet, Malaysian walking leaf, African dung beetle, brown marmorated stink bug, and firefly. Students can add highlights and notes using the built-in note taking features.

The accompanying project website includes downloads such as sketchbook pages and informational pages.

Those without access to the iBook format can still read a full-color PDF version of the book.

Go to the project website at http://www.ssec.si.edu/books/expedition/insects.

Download the iBook at https://itunes.apple.com/…/b…/expedition-insects/id912242496

Read a PDF version of the book at http://www.ssec.si.edu/Media/SSEC/PDFs/ExpeditionInsects.pdf.