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deschatjes's review against another edition
4.0
A great book, guaranteed to induce beetle-mania amongst your students if they're not already obsessed (I remember my son going through an insect obsession stage), so get ready with plenty of nonfiction beetle books!
Good balance of suspense and hi-jinx, adults are kept at arms length except when necessary to further the plot.
Can't wait for the next book.
Good balance of suspense and hi-jinx, adults are kept at arms length except when necessary to further the plot.
Can't wait for the next book.
stephen_baird's review against another edition
4.0
Follow the adventures of Darkus and his friends, Virginia and Bertolt, as they search for his dad who has gone missing from a locked room in the Natural History Museum.
They are joined along the way by Darkus’ Uncle Max and some even more amazing friends, that help in the fight against the evil Lucretia Cutter, (mad? evil?)scientist and fashion designer.
The story is fast paced and exciting, lightened every now and again with touches of humour, especially from the cousins, Pickering and Humphrey, evil and stupid in equal measures.
M.G. Leonard exhibits a real knowledge and love of beetles throughout the book which is peppered with great facts and bits of information.
This is part of a trilogy that includes ‘Beetle Queen’ and the upcoming ‘The Battle of the Beetles’.
The physical book is another beautiful object from Chicken House Publishing and the special edition has beetles on the fore edge (as has the special edition of ‘Beetle Queen’).
This was a well-deserved addition to the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize 2017 shortlist and is another book that though it is aimed at the Middle Grade reading groups I would highly recommend to everyone to read as it is so well written.
They are joined along the way by Darkus’ Uncle Max and some even more amazing friends, that help in the fight against the evil Lucretia Cutter, (mad? evil?)scientist and fashion designer.
The story is fast paced and exciting, lightened every now and again with touches of humour, especially from the cousins, Pickering and Humphrey, evil and stupid in equal measures.
M.G. Leonard exhibits a real knowledge and love of beetles throughout the book which is peppered with great facts and bits of information.
This is part of a trilogy that includes ‘Beetle Queen’ and the upcoming ‘The Battle of the Beetles’.
The physical book is another beautiful object from Chicken House Publishing and the special edition has beetles on the fore edge (as has the special edition of ‘Beetle Queen’).
This was a well-deserved addition to the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize 2017 shortlist and is another book that though it is aimed at the Middle Grade reading groups I would highly recommend to everyone to read as it is so well written.
kcodlingbray's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
katykelly's review against another edition
5.0
Hugely enjoyable children's mystery, but the quotes comparing it to Roald Dahl are unjustified. I don't mean to say that this isn't wonderful, just that it has nothing in common that I can see with Dahl and that the writer doesn't need to piggyback on the success of another author to do well.
This is original, funny, even educational. Darkus (best name ever in a children's book?!) has already lost his mum. Now he's having to live with his uncle after his dad goes missing from the Natural History Museum where he works. From a locked room. Everyone thinks he's run away or dead. Darkus knows this can't be true. Can he find him?
To top it off, he's had to move schools and has bullies on his case, and his new neighbours are forever fighting and living in filth. Can a particularly friendly and smart beetle help him out?
Just loved the idea of the beetle hero. It reminded me a little of the (very silly) film 'Joe's Apartment', but this also contains some very interesting information about the beetles, and the plot is exciting, with heroes, villains, dumb sidekicks, escapes, action, and of course the central mystery of Darkus's missing father.
And an amazing cover with a fantastic coloured inner spine decorated with beetles!
I wanted more of the school/bullies storyline, but the main plot involving a villain and Darkus's dad is great. Baxter the beetle is also superb as an anthropomorphic character and I would definitely want to read more about the children and their six-legged friends.
Nothing like Dahl, an entirely different genre and style. And in a league of its own - it is going to do very well with upper primary and lower secondary students.
This is original, funny, even educational. Darkus (best name ever in a children's book?!) has already lost his mum. Now he's having to live with his uncle after his dad goes missing from the Natural History Museum where he works. From a locked room. Everyone thinks he's run away or dead. Darkus knows this can't be true. Can he find him?
To top it off, he's had to move schools and has bullies on his case, and his new neighbours are forever fighting and living in filth. Can a particularly friendly and smart beetle help him out?
Just loved the idea of the beetle hero. It reminded me a little of the (very silly) film 'Joe's Apartment', but this also contains some very interesting information about the beetles, and the plot is exciting, with heroes, villains, dumb sidekicks, escapes, action, and of course the central mystery of Darkus's missing father.
And an amazing cover with a fantastic coloured inner spine decorated with beetles!
I wanted more of the school/bullies storyline, but the main plot involving a villain and Darkus's dad is great. Baxter the beetle is also superb as an anthropomorphic character and I would definitely want to read more about the children and their six-legged friends.
Nothing like Dahl, an entirely different genre and style. And in a league of its own - it is going to do very well with upper primary and lower secondary students.
liamkeith's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
certifiedbooklover's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
4.0
bethanychristou's review against another edition
5.0
This is everything 8-year-old me would have wanted in a story: intelligent beetles with special abilities, a great mystery disappearance to solve, repulsive neighbours, and a simply horrific villain.
When I was little, I was fascinated by insects. I would go on ‘bug hunts’ in our garden – pulling back the grass around our patio to reveal woodlice, beetles and spiders. I had a pet garden beetle on my bedside table for a short time, before it escaped its flimsy container and disappeared somewhere behind my bed. I like how brave I was at that age. Nowadays I’m doing everything I can to keep the insects out my room – not invite them in as companions!
Reading Beetle Boy felt nostalgic to me. It made me remember that wonder I had as a child when I found insects in our garden. There was a certain magical quality to discovering them.
M.G. Leonard has made beetles cool, and dare I say it, cute?! Darkus and Baxter’s bond is heartwarming, I love the scene where they first meet with all my heart. I like to think that after reading Beetle Boy, children will imagine having their own six-legged sidekick to go on adventures with.
I was already a fan of Júlia Sardà, and I adore her gorgeous illustrations and her visualisation of Darkus and his friends.
An utterly brilliant, thrilling adventure. I immediately ordered Beetle Queen after finishing this one. I’m excited about this series and look forward to seeing where the story goes!
When I was little, I was fascinated by insects. I would go on ‘bug hunts’ in our garden – pulling back the grass around our patio to reveal woodlice, beetles and spiders. I had a pet garden beetle on my bedside table for a short time, before it escaped its flimsy container and disappeared somewhere behind my bed. I like how brave I was at that age. Nowadays I’m doing everything I can to keep the insects out my room – not invite them in as companions!
Reading Beetle Boy felt nostalgic to me. It made me remember that wonder I had as a child when I found insects in our garden. There was a certain magical quality to discovering them.
M.G. Leonard has made beetles cool, and dare I say it, cute?! Darkus and Baxter’s bond is heartwarming, I love the scene where they first meet with all my heart. I like to think that after reading Beetle Boy, children will imagine having their own six-legged sidekick to go on adventures with.
I was already a fan of Júlia Sardà, and I adore her gorgeous illustrations and her visualisation of Darkus and his friends.
An utterly brilliant, thrilling adventure. I immediately ordered Beetle Queen after finishing this one. I’m excited about this series and look forward to seeing where the story goes!
nica_reads's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
libby_gt's review against another edition
4.0
It took me a while to get into this book but I did enjoy it in the end. I have seen a few reviews comparing it to Roald Dahl’s fiction and I agree with them - it is quirky, imaginative and full of adventure and memorable characters, just like all of the Dahl favourites.
Perfect for children who love science and animals (and action, battles and explosives!)
Perfect for children who love science and animals (and action, battles and explosives!)
sigrundr's review against another edition
Dit was een van mijn favo reeksen, altijd bijgebleven. Ik wou dat in terug 10 kon zijn en het voor de eerste keer lezen