Beetle Boy (Beetle Trilogy, Book 1)

At first I wasn't sure I would continue read the book. But, the further I read the more interesting the story became. After that, I looked forward to picking up story and continue reading. It was a great adventure story that I recommend to anyone regardless of age (I'm 75 years old).

It was amazing I absolutely loved it at the last three chapters I couldn't stop reading it was that exciting.

Well written and exciting book for young boys interested in insects and technology, but a chapter book for advanced readers.

10yo son says "great mystery book"

Grandson loves this book.

My daughter loved it

If your reader has outgrown Jack Patton’s “The Battle Bugs”, then M. G. Leonard’s “Beetle Boy” may be just what you need to meet their current interests and reading level. In the first book of her Beetle Trilogy - “Beetle Boy” – M. G. Leonard combines science fiction, a mystery, and scientific information about coleoptera [beetles] into an interesting, exciting novel.When Dr. Bartholomew Cuttle, Director of Science at the Natural History Museum, mysteriously goes missing, his thirteen-year old son Darkus knows something is wrong. Dr. Maximillian Cuttle, his uncle, returns from Egypt and opens his home, including giving up his cluttered study to be used by Darkus as his bedroom. As they work together to clear out a multitude of boxes and papers, Darkus discovers a stack of folders labeled “The Fabre Project”. As they work to clear the room, Darkus notices a large black rhinoceros beetle he eventually befriends and names Baxter. Baxter will play a major role in the events that propel the story forward and will enlist an army of beetles in the exciting final chapters of the book.M. G. Leonard has written an intriguing story. Filled with excitement, humor, “Beetle Boy” includes educational elements – particularly relating to different beetles - so subtly woven into the text that the reader does not realize they are learning something. Issues such as genetic engineering, cross-species breeding, and ecology and the environment play important roles in the novel.Characters are relatable – Darkus and his friends Virginia and Bertolt are those ‘tweens who are outside the popular circle, but who support and encourage one another. The villainous Madame Lucretia Cutter – formerly Lucy Johnstone – is a Cruella devil of bugs. Her source for the beetles she is seeking, cousins Humphrey and Pickering are like the buffoonish thieves Horace and Jasper Badun in Disney’s “101 Dalmations”. Madame Cutter’s daughter Novak evolves from an unappealing character to one for whom the reader feels pity.“Beetle Boy” should appeal to many ‘tween readers, particularly those who are interested in science. It is also a good bedtime read-aloud for primary-school aged children. The characters are varied in personality and motivation. Strong, independent female characters, whether good or villainous, are as important as the male characters. The story is exciting and moves at a rapid pace; this is not a difficult book to read and enjoy. Language and situations are appropriate for any age reader or listener. However, if reading this book aloud, you may want to "edit some of the exclamations which are mild, but not what one wants a child to use.I enjoyed “Beetle Boy” as much as my grandson to whom I read the book. In fact, he liked it so much he had me read almost continuously until we finished the book. This is the first book without illustrations that he has been willing to have read in its entirety. We look forward to the other two books in M. G. Leonard’s trilogy. My grandson has already started asking questions about the plot and character hierarchy of "Beetle Queen".

This rollicking adventure is targeted at children 8-12 years but it’s a good read regardless of your age. I loved it! Darkus Cuttle’s dad used to be a beetle expert --Darkus didn’t know this because his dad has never talked about it—and now he’s Director of Natural Science at a Natural History Museum. But he disappeared –good old dependable dad who would never EVER fail to pick up his thirteen-year-old son after school. Darkus’s mother had died five years before and his archaeologist uncle Maximus is out somewhere in some desert doing what he odes best, which is exploring. Exploring for what? That’s irrelevant for this story, so who cares? Maximus returns and Darkus gets out of foster care but his father is still missing so Darkus, a plucky youth, sets out to find him. Along the way he makes friends –three of them, all brave (well, two of them are) and true. Two are classmates –Virginia (fearless) and Bertolt (timid). The third is a beetle, which, wonder of wonders, seems to have adopted him. He names the beetle Baxter. Baxter, it is soon clear, is no ordinary beetle, either in intelligence (he’s quite perceptive) or friendliness (he’s very protective of Darkus). In fact, there are other beetles –they live across the street in a rundown gigantic heap of a house-complex owned by two cousins, Humphrey and Pickering, nasty types who are constantly fighting each other and who, when by accident they capture Darkus nosing around in their house, contemplate mincing him up and baking him inside a pie. As to the beetles, they’re super-intelligent too and there’s an ominous scientist-type, Lucretia Cutter, who wants to capture them all so she can anesthetize them and pin them on display cards in the museum’s beetle collection. Darkus, Virginia, Bertolt, uncle Max, Baxter and two beetles (one is a lightning bug) who have adopted the other two children, fight back gloriously and in the end Darkus’s father is free and the beetles safe. What happens is exciting and hilarious both. En route there are surprises and the ending leaves the way open for a sequel. This isn’t deep stuff. It’s just fun, a delight to read. I can imagine how much a middle schooler will enjoy it and because it has both boy and girl heroes, boys and girls can both relate to it. I liked beetles before but I like them even more now. The book includes an entomology dictionary which is not included in the review copy.(I may be a 79-year-old reader but I’m still a kid at heart, I guess).

Very nice book and imaginitive. Recommended for boys and girls. Find your love for insects.

Beetle Boy was a fantastic middle grade novel that will certainly appeal to fans of Roald Dahl. It takes its readers very seriously as it proved to be a surprisingly educational novel that introduces young readers to just how wonderful beetles are. All the species mentioned in this book are real and Leonard went to great lengths to highlight interesting features about them. The book even contains a glossary that explains all the technical terms in a way that makes them easy to understand. I think that this is really it's strongest point as it really builds a sense of discovery, showing young readers that insects are fascinating and not something to be afraid of.The plot is fast paced and provides a double-adventure for the young characters. On one side is Darkus's investigations into his father's disappearance and on the other is a mission to save the inhabitants of "Beetle Mountain" from being killed by a greedy collector. Both plots are really engrossing and very easy for a young reader to follow, containing nice amounts of tension and being creepy and gross in places but never in a way that felt inappropriate for the target audience.The novel also ends really well. While it leaves a lot open for the the sequel, it still ties up this stage of the plot quite nicely. I felt that this is really effective as it made me want to read on to find out what the evil Lucretia Cutter's master plan is, and how Darkus and his friends will combat it.The characters in the novel are all really strong and well rounded. The four young protagonists - Darkus, Virginia, Bertolt and Novak - all have very distinct personalities and work very well together. The themes of teamwork and friendship are very important within the story and it was fun watching the group planning the rescue of the beetles. However, its the beetles that truly steal the show. Baxter is especially lovely, proving to be both a gentle giant and fiercely protective of Darkus. It's amazing how much character he can show and I loved how the book showed that, even though he looked intimidating, he was really harmless.The villain of the piece is also suitably terrifying. Lucretia Cutter is a bit like the Cruella De Ville of the entomology world but proves to have some dark secrets as the story progresses. I get the distinct impression that we'll be seeing a lot more of her in future books and I'm kind of glad about this. While she does exist to be evil, she is incredibly memorable.So, in short, Beetle Boy is definitely a story I'd recommend. It's funny, action-packed and filled with strong characters and fascinating facts about beetles. This is definitely a must read for any young reader.

Beetle Boy – 5 Stars – review by Aeryn Y6This is my new favourite book. The story is both intriguing, sad and funny which makes it a great read. The illustrations were also amazing. I could not have been more excited when the book took a good turn. I am 10 and my teacher read this to me. She picked the best book possible.Beetle Boy by MG Leonard – review by Poppy Y6This book made me laugh and shocked me and everything in between. I always liked Beetles but I never realised how much! There is a lot of scientific information about beetles within the story and I definitely learnt more about Beetles. I recommend this to anyone in KS2.Beetle Boy – review by Anna Y6This book is intriguing right from the start. I have learnt so much about beetles that I thought I would never know. The mystery of Darkus’s missing father is central to the strory which embarks on a fascinating adventure of beetles, friends, evil and pranks. It is quirky in a hilarious way - I didn’t want the book to end! It was page turning, a new mystery and more clues on almost every page. The adventure reeled me in and I can’t wait to read the next books in the series. I recommend this for age 8+.

Kids favorite

This is a fast paced action adventure for middle grade readers, 8 to 11 years. Set in contemporary London it tells the story of Darkus and the extraordinary discovery he makes at a point in his 13 year old life when all seems lost and he could really do with some friends. Darkus soon finds people of his own age he can trust as he negotiates the mystery surrounding his father’s mysterious disappearance. The story is well told, has captivating characters and superb set pieces that drive the story towards its gripping conclusion- not to mention lots of juicy facts about the incredible world of insects. It’s truly claw-tastic.