The Bug Girl (A True Story)

Canadian fourth grader and social media phenomenon Sophia Spencer shares her first-person story and a guide to her favorite insects. Spencer’s mom supports her early passion for bugs, which begins at a butterfly conservatory, but things change in first grade: “I brought a grasshopper to school. I thought the kids would be so amazed by the grasshopper they’d want to know all about it.... Then they knocked that beautiful grasshopper off my shoulder and stomped on it until it was dead.” After her mother shares Spencer’s story with a few entomologists, it goes viral and supportive messages pour in: “I couldn’t believe how many people around the world loved bugs as much as I did. And how many of them were grown-up women!” McNamara’s skillful text centers Spencer’s voice, while Kerascoët’s loose ink, colored pencil, and watercolor illustrations render winning details with emotional sensitivity (Scott’s mother’s face as she gamely captures a flying roach). Includes Sophia’s Big Book of Bugs—a book-within-a-book presenting “Super-Cool Bug Facts.” Ages 4–8. [em](Feb.) [/em]