This book is written by a kid, a 4th grader. Sophia is The Bug Girl herself, who got some help in writing the book. In this 2020 title Sophia shares what it is like to be a bug girl. While most kids like story books, Sophia likes bug books. While some kids watch cute videos of cats, Sophia watches bug videos—over, and over, and over again. As a toddler, as a kindergartener, all the buggy parts of her life were fine. But when Sophia went to first grade, nobody wanted to hear about bugs. Because of the bullying, she took a break from bugs but was so unhappy. And then—she got hooked up with a group of entomologists. What happened next will have students wanting to be unique themselves.
When Sophia’s story ends there are more good things. The back matter includes lots of visuals, facts, Sophia’s four favorite bugs, the lifecycle of the butterfly, and tips for studying bugs in the wild.
In one part of the book Sophia writes that bugs are older than humans so this will need to be addressed.
Show young readers that they can trust the bug facts in the book. In the front matter the authors acknowledge Dr. Morgan Jackson for his help making sure all the facts were correct.
About the Author& Illustrator
Because she loves insects so much and knows how to spread that enthusiasm, Sophia the 4th grader, has appeared on Good Morning America and NPR. Sophia lives in Canada. Like most kids, she likes to climb trees and do gymnastics. But she loves bugs even more.
Pathways Themes: Living Things, Personal Feelings & Growth
By Deborah Hopkinson (DeborahHopkinson.com)
Illustrated by Kristy Caldwell (KristyCaldwell.com)
Authors: Nik Kinley and Shlomo Ben-Hur
