The Bug Bandits by Jenni L. Walsh

Liberty Jacobs’ home is like no other- she lives above the Walnut Street Insectarium that her dad owns. She loves everything about her home and cannot imagine life without it. Money is tight and her dad needs an investor, but before the big meeting Liberty hears that the insectarium is going to be robbed. Who would do such a thing? Can Liberty trap them to stop the robbery and find out who they are?

Reading Level: Ages 8-12
Read Aloud: Ages 7 and up

This middle-grade novel had my kiddos hooked, and we ended up reading the second half of the book in one sitting because my 8-year-old son kept begging for “one more chapter!” The writing is engaging, exciting, and very plot driven. The end of the books has a bit of Home Alone flair to it with traps and tricks to slow down the robbers. In fact, if Home Alone is a movie you avoid, this might not be the right book for your family as it references the movie several times.

My main caveat is the instances of lying. Initially, they are painted as “the ends justify the means,” and at one point Liberty says she “can’t” tell her dad the truth. However, later she sees her error and feels “a little foolish for not telling him from the beginning.” I do appreciate that the author addresses her behavior as foolish. She is also later punished for this behavior. While this story isn’t dripping with character development or life lessons, if you are looking for a fast, fun and slightly larger than life (but still realistic fiction) adventure, this could be a lighthearted pick.

Language:
butt, heck, moron, and oh my gosh each used once
hate, pee, suck/sucks, shoot, stupid each used a few times
Liberty’s dad refers to his mom as a “drama factory”

Questionable Behaviors:
As mentioned above, there are several instances of lying. Sometimes they are outright deception and sometimes “white lies.” While many are included in Liberty’s later regret and feeling foolish (above), this is still probably good to address with your reader.
Liberty enjoys seeing Cam squirm with their large iguana

Sexual Content:
Cam has a crush on Emmy (but he only sees Emmy via face chats)

Other Things to Know:
Some gross bug facts are listed
Liberty is a middle schooler and has her own cell phone
Liberty refers to her temper as “spirited with big emotions,” and later “embraces” this part of herself, although I think the author intended it to mean she acknowledges it as a weakness
Liberty uses the word mantra, but means it as a phrase she repeats to calm herself (not in Buddhist meditation form)

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