Bug Books
Breakout at the Bug Lab
Ages 6-9
Illustrated by Joan Holub
Penguin Young Readers (2001)
Available in paperback and e-book
Our mom works in a bug lab. She collects robber flies. They carry their food with their feet. She looks at dung beetles. They eat animal poop! But the best bug in her lab is Max. Max is Mom’s pet cockroach.
Meet Max. He’s a giant hissing cockroach. Max lives in the bug lab where our mom works. The lab is having a big party today. And, wouldn’t you know it? Max just broke out of his tank. He’s on the loose!
Most people scream when they see Max. How many people will end up screaming (or worse) if we can’t capture this runaway roach? We’re going buggy just thinking about it!
Fans of bugs, adventure, and surprises will enjoy every twist and squirm of this action-packed escapade.
Reviews
“Horowitz…injects lots of droll wit and sly puns into the tale, along with interesting bits of information about insects and scientific work.” —Kirkus Reviews
“A book in which everything is just right.” —School Library Journal
“…readers will enjoy the fun facts woven into the lively, well-paced text.” —Booklist
The Story Behind the Story
My debut leveled reader reshapes true tales I heard from my dear friend Trish Hanson, a Vermont entomologist I wrote about for Seven Days newspaper. With its great illustrations by Joan Holub, the book has been a hit with beginning readers and English language learners. It also inspired me (briefly) to keep some pet cockroaches of my own.
Big Surprise in the Bug Tank
Ages 6-9
Illustrated by Joan Holub
Dial (2005)
Available in hardcover
Our pets are so cool, grown-ups will not touch them…They hiss like snakes and can hang upside down. They eat dog food, and sometimes toilet paper tubes.
Fans of Breakout at the Bug Lab will have just as much fun this time around as the bug-loving brothers tackle another nutty insect adventure.
Buy now!
AmazonReviews
“The built-in “Ewwww!” factor will draw new readers like ants to a picnic in this follow-up to Breakout at the Bug Lab (2001). Brothers Leo and the never-named narrator bring home a pair of giant hissing cockroaches chosen from the stock at their entomologist mother’s lab—then look ahead to a scary future when two unexpectedly become eight. Uh-oh. After unsuccessful (go figure) efforts to sell or give away the extra little cuties, the sibs at last uncover a crucial bit of information—how to tell males from females—that helps them put a stop to the incipient population explosion without resorting to extermination.” —Kirkus Reviews
“A great choice for newly confident readers and bug lovers alike.” — School Library Journal