First in The Beetle Trilogy, I loved this scientifically accurate book of beetles, middle graders, a villain or two and adventure. Looking forward to the next book in the trilogy. ( )

This is a very good book. Has a fun storyline and can be used in a science class to talk about insects. ( )

A fun mystery with strong male and female characters and awesome beetles! I learned about beetles I'd never heard of and that there are more species of beetles than any other insect on earth. Includes "An Entomologist's Dictionary." ( )

Beetle Boy
I loved this story of a boy whose scientist Dad goes missing from the beetle room at the Natural History Museum where he worked. The boy, Darkus moves in with his uncle and starts to unravel the mystery. Are his uncle’s next-door neighbors (who have a colony of beetles in their filthy living room) hiding something? Darkus and his friends investigate, and find that someone is breeding an intelligent strain of beetles. This book could be paired with another of my favorites, Masterpiece by Elise Broach. Very funny, clever and creative I will purchase it for all our library branches.
Literary Merit: Very Good
Characterization: Very Good
Audience: Middle School/Upper Elementary
Recommended: YES ( )

Darkus father has inexplicably disappeared, having gone missing from a locked specimen room from which there was no other exit. Darkus knows his father would never abandoned him and is determined to find him. With help from his friends Virginia and Bertolt, a beetle named Baxter, Novak, the daughter of a mysterious figure, and his Uncle Max, a plan is hatched, Beetles play a large role as well as two hoarding neighbors. A touch of humor infuse this adventure mystery. ( )