Fly Frenzy

August 1, 2013

Gr 2-4-In Spider, readers meet Josh and Danny Phillips, who make the mistake of visiting the backyard of their nasty neighbor, Miss Potts. The eight-year-old twins are searching for their dog when they discover that Miss Potts has developed a formula to turn humans into insects. They are accidentally sprayed and transformed into spiders. From trying to avoid being squished or eaten by a predator to finding food, the boys realize how hard it is to be a tiny spider. All ends well when they are rescued by a couple of helpful rats. The other titles follow a similar plotline: the brothers change into insects and are transformed back to humans at the end. Descriptions of their bug thoughts will hook readers. For example, who knew the smell of cake is so irresistible to flies that they are attracted to it in an almost trancelike state? Fun incidents, such as Danny as a spider taking delight in sucking the juice out of a trapped insect, will have readers giggling or completely grossed out. Amusing black-and-white illustrations are scattered throughout. This light, early chapter-book series is a great introduction to a classroom study on insects or arachnids. Fans of Megan McDonald's "Stink" (Candlewick), Tedd Arnold's "Fly Guy" (Scholastic), or Dan Gutman's "My Weird School" (HarperCollins) series will enjoy these books.-Julie Shatterly, W.A. Bess Elementary School, Gastonia, NC

Copyright 2013 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 1, 2013
The plot thickens with complications, plus various sorts of goo and slime, in the second episode of this boys-as-bugs series. When their mother's prized topiary is vandalized, 8-year-old twins Danny and Josh accept the offer of Petty Potts, the old-but-not-as-dotty-as-she-seems scientist next door, to transform them temporarily into houseflies in order to track down the perpetrator. Marveling at their suddenly different world ("I can see my own butt!" exclaims Danny. "Without turning my head around!"), the lads buzz off to the house of the suspected classmate culprit. There they have close and gross encounters with both a parental nose and a hungry spider--plus a reunion with friendly rats Scratch and Sniff, introduced in the first episode (Spider Stampede, 2013). In the end, just deserts are served out all around, and hints of a larger scheme involving Potts and her chemical cocktails point to sequels. Along with spritzing occasional drops of natural history into the story itself--"To a fly, pee is soup"--Sparkes appends a glossary of insect parts and other vocabulary words. For value added, all series episodes also feature a set list of print and Web resources for larval insectophiles. Sequels, publishing simultaneously, are Grasshopper Glitch, Ant Attack, Crane Fly Crash and Beetle Blast. Readers will suck up this quick and gooey adventure like the "fly-spit smoothie" that it is. (line drawings) (Fantasy. 7-9)

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July 1, 2013
Eight-year-old twins Josh and Danny accidentally stumble into their neighbor's secret lab and become test subjects in a mad experiment. Miss Potts has developed S.W.I.T.C.H. spray, which temporarily changes people into insects and spiders. These undemanding books rely on humor and suspense to capture readers' attention. The black-and-white drawings help bring the preposterous plots to life. Reading list, websites. Glos.

(Copyright 2013 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)