by Ali Sparkes
“Of course!” Josh giggled, wildly, to Danny and Petty. “Scratch told us he could get flies to swarm for him. Now he’s proved it!”
Everyone was now edging quickly away from Mrs. Sharpe’s garden.
“Wait! Wait!” she squealed after them, swatting flies off her clothes in crazy swoops. “I’ve made tea! I’ve made cakes! Scones and jam . . . to celebrate my victory . . . ”
“Nothing to celebrate this year, Mrs. Sharpe,” called back the judge, scribbling on his clipboard as he ran down the road. “You came in ninth! Better get an exterminator in for those rats!”
“But I don’t have rats! I don’t!” sobbed Mrs. Sharpe, twitching and dancing while Tarquin slapped his face repeatedly.
Josh stayed long enough to take a photograph. He got the angle right this time.
“Good old Scratch and Sniff!” cheered Danny as their furry friends disappeared behind Mrs. Sharpe’s greenhouse.
Back at the Phillips’s yard, Mom was being cheered by the crowd. She’d won! Even Jenny came outside to join in the celebration.
“Ugh! Flies! How disgusting!” she squealed, when she heard about the drama. “I bet Danny freaked out.”
“Nope,” said Danny. “Flies are brilliant. I will never squash a fly again. Flies are my friends.” He wandered off as Petty sidled up to Josh.
“So—are you both quite all right?” she checked, peering at him closely. “No aftereffects?”
“Not me,” said Josh. He pointed at Danny. “Not so sure about him though . . . ”
Danny’s nose twitched as he stared longingly at the trash can. Danny began to drool.
“Danneeeeee!” called Josh.
“I—can’t—help—it . . . ” wailed Danny, running his hands over the lid.
“SPIDER!” shouted Josh. Danny hurtled off the trash can and ran into the house. He nearly collided with Jenny as she walked back toward the house.
“Oh why must you always bug me?” yelled Jenny. “And what are you doing over there, Josh?”
“Um . . . nothing,” said Josh, sniffing at the trash can lid. He ran after Danny before he could give in to the urge to lick the gooey bits. “Gotta fly!”
antennae: long, thin feelers, protruding from an insect’s forehead. Flies use their antennae to smell and feel their surroundings.
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?
Ali Sparkes grew up in the woods of Hampshire, England. Actually, strictly speaking, she grew up in a house in Hampshire. The woods were great but lacked basic facilities like sofas and a well-stocked fridge. Nevertheless, the woods were where she and her friends spent much of their time, and so Ali grew up with a deep and abiding love of wildlife. If you ever see Ali with a large garden spider on her shoulder, she will most likely be screeching, “AAAARRRGHGETITOFFME!”
Ali lives in Southampton with her husband and sons. She would never kill a creepy-crawly of any kind. They are more scared of her than she is of them. (Creepy-crawlies, not her husband and sons.)
Ross Collins’s more than eighty picture books and books for young readers have appeared in print around the world. He lives in Scotland and, in his spare time, enjoys leaning backward precariously in his chair.
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