Frankenbug

This is a totally awesome book...is what my son said after he read it. And then I read it and I agree! I love Mr. Cousins writing and I wish he would write more! The wonderful detail and use of actual science in this imaginative treasure is astounding! The issue of bullying in this book is sensitively portrayed and also dealt with humor and insight. I think this should be required reading in all schools. It brought up topics around the dinner table for discussion from bugs to treating others with respect and usually back to bugs again. Boys are like that.

Unlike the other kids in his fifth grade class, Adam Cricklestein lives in his own little world of bugs and insects from all over the world. Adam is the first to admit that he is a little bit weird, but this hobby is just innocent fun that doesn't hurt anyone else. But because Jeb McCallister, the sixth grade bully, enjoys torturing Adam and his bugs every chance he gets, Adam is forced to 'create' a bug to protect him from his nemesis. Frankenbug is not only entertaining, but also extremely educational in a conspicuous way that will spark the scientific interests in young readers. Steven Cousins definitely did his homework before writing this book in order to obtain the countless facts about many rare types of 'bugs'. For example, his description of the male and female lightening bug's photinus carolinus (flash pattern used when mating) that Adam used to bring Frankenbug to life was precisely informative. The story line is also set up well, with the reader pulling for Adam (and Frankenbug) to come out ahead of Jeb right down to the very end. This culminates with Jeb's bullying being exposed and Frankenbug being released to live out his life with Adam in his zoo-like bedroom. The only drawback to this book was the lack of depth given to many of the characters. Because Adam was portrayed as the class nerd, children will be reluctant to identify with his character. The introduction of a classmate who was a true-blue type friend to Adam, in spite of his strange hobby, may have been useful to draw in a larger audience. Overall, this is an informative, educational, and entertaining book that many children should enjoy.

I really, really enjoyed the book Frankenbug. I think Mr. Cousins's idea of telling it from the boy's point of view was great and easy to follow. And this was the kind of book where you could easily follow what was going on, and it was just really fun to read!

Frankenbug is a really great book that tells the story of a boy who creates a monster bug after seeing the movie Frankenstein. Also mixed into the exciting story are hilarious jokes and good facts about bugs. This is also very realistic because it is told in a real 11 year old boy's voice and is not that complicated. I think that this is a VERY good book and you shouldn't miss out on it.