Fly Frenzy (9 page)

bluebottle:
a type of fly with a metallic blue and green thorax. Bluebottles are covered in black bristly hairs. They make a noisy buzzing sound when they fly. They are about half an inch long.

cellular:
something made from a group of living cells

hexagonal:
a shape that has six sides

hijack:
to take control of something by force

hologram:
a picture made up of laser beams that appear three-dimensional (3-D)

insect:
animals with six legs and three body parts—the head, the thorax, and the abdomen

locusts:
insects that breed very quickly and fly in large groups called swarms. A swarm of locusts can cause a lot of damage to crops.

mammal:
animals that give birth to live young and feed them with their own milk. Humans and rats are mammals.

palps:
feelers that spiders use to search for food

plague:
sometimes known as the Black Death, the plague was a serious illness. Fleas living on rats carried the disease and spread it to humans.

proboscis:
a long sucking organ or mouthpart. Flies use their proboscis to suck up food.

reptiles:
cold-blooded animals. Lizards and snakes are reptiles.

thorax:
the section of an insect's body between the head and abdomen

topiary:
pruning (or trimming) bushes and hedges into attractive shapes

vermin:
animals or insects that can damage crops or carry disease. Rats are often described as vermin.

BOOKS

Want to brush up on your bug knowledge? Here's a list of books dedicated to creepy-crawlies.

Glaser, Linda.
Not a Buzz to Be Found
. Minneapolis: Millbrook Press, 2012.

Heos, Bridget.
What to Expect When You're Expecting Larvae: A Guide for Insect Parents (and Curious Kids)
. Minneapolis: Millbrook Press, 2011.

Markle, Sandra. Insect World series. Minneapolis: Lerner Publications, 2008.

WEBSITES

Find out more about nature and wildlife using the websites below.

BioKids
http://www.biokids.umich.edu/critters/
The University of Michigan's Critter Catalog has a ton of pictures of different kinds of bugs and information on where they live, how they behave, and their predators.

National Geographic Kids
http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/kids/animals-pets-kids/bugs-kids
Go to this fun website to watch clips from National Geographic about all sorts of creepy-crawlies.

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
http://www.fws.gov/letsgooutside/kids.html
This website has lots of activities for when you're outside playing and looking for wildlife.

CHECK OUT ALL OF THE
TITLES!

	#1 Spider Stampede Eight-year-olds Josh and Danny discover that their neighbor Miss Potts has a secret formula that can change people into bugs. Soon enough, they find themselves with six extra legs. Can the boys survive in the world as spiders long enough to make it home in time for dinner?
	#2 Fly Frenzy Danny and Josh are avoiding their neighbor because she “accidentally” turned them into bugs. But when their mom's garden is ruined the day before a big competition, the twins turn into bluebottle houseflies to discover the culprits. Will they find who's responsible before it's too late?
	#3 Grasshopper Glitch Danny and Josh are having a normal day at school . . . until they turn into grasshoppers in the middle of class! Can they avoid being eaten during their whirlwind search to find the antidote? And will they be able to change back before getting a week of detention?
	#4 Ant Attack Danny and Josh are being forced to play with Tarquin, the most annoying boy in the neighborhood. But things get dangerous when the twins accidentally turn into ants and discover that Tarquin kills bugs for fun . . . .Can they find a safe place to hide until they turn human again?
	#5 Crane Fly Crash When Petty Potts leaves town, she puts Danny and Josh in charge of some of her S.W.I.T.C.H. spray. Unfortunately, their sister, Jenny, mistakes it for hair spray and ends up as a crane fly. Now it's up to the twins to keep Jenny from being eaten alive.
	#6 Beetle Blast Danny is forced to go with his brother, Josh, to his nature group, but neither of them thought they would turn into the nature they were studying! Both brothers become beetles just in time to learn about pond dipping . . . from the bug's perspective. Can they avoid getting caught by the other kids?