Everybody Bugs Out

Gr 4—7—Annabelle's first year at a coed middle school continues to provide challenges and opportunities to observe that human and animal behavior are not all that far apart. This time it is the bugs that take center stage. It is February and everyone seems to be paired up in anticipation of the big Valentine's Day dance except Annabelle. Even her secret crush/science-fair partner has been snatched away by her friend Claire before she could declare her interest in him. Since love doesn't seem to be in the cards, can their project on how colors attract bugs at least win them first prize at the science fair? While the connection between bug attraction and first crushes is a bit of a stretch, Margolis makes a great attempt to make a case. Annabelle's mix of confidence and anxiety is spot-on for tween readers, and this third installment in the series will not disappoint fans of the first two.—Kathleen Meulen Ellison, Sakai Intermediate School, Bainbridge Island, WA