Carle, Eric. The Very Hungry Caterpillar. A hungry caterpillar eats holes through plums, cheese, sausage, and other food and gets a stomach ache. Then something wonderful happens to the fat caterpillar. Print-braille. BR 06130.

Hall, Katy. Buggy Riddles. A collection of forty-two zany riddles about bugs, bees, and other familiar insects. BR 07102.

McDermott, Gerald. Anansi the Spider: A Tale from the Ashanti. Anansi, a spider in Ghana, is saved from big trouble by each of his six sons in different ways. Anansi can't decide which son to reward for his rescue with a ball of light, so it is carried into the sky--and becomes the moon. Caldecott Honor Book. Print-braille. BR 15041.

Merrill, Jean. The Girl Who Loved Caterpillars: a 12th-Century Tale from Japan. Izumi, the pretty daughter of a provincial inspector in the emperor's court, refuses to conform to standards of beauty and decorum. Preoccupied with "the original nature of things," Izumi loves caterpillars. She enjoys the company of peasant boys who supply her with caterpillars but attracts the attention of a nobleman. Print-braille. BR 08986.

Mizumura, Kazue. If I Were a Cricket. Short haiku-like poems tell how the poet would show her love for someone if she were a cricket, a starfish, a ladybug, a firefly, or a frog. BR 03322.

Pizer, Abigail. Nosey Gilbert. Gilbert the dog, Tabitha the cat, and Henrietta Goose are awakened from a lazy, summer-afternoon snooze by the buzzing of a swarm of bees. When Gilbert chases a bee into an old flower pot and pushes his large, black, shiny nose right in after it, he's in for a painful surprise and his first trip to the vet. BR 07929.

Rockwell, Anne. Bugs Are Insects. Introduces some common backyard creatures such as the ladybug. Discusses the basic characteristics and differences of bugs and insects. Print-braille. BR 14007.

Van Allsburg, Chris. Two Bad Ants. Two ants join a sugar expedition, leaving their outdoor world to enter a human's kitchen. They decide to stay near the tasty treasure, but surviving in this new world is full of unexpected dangers. Print-braille. BR 12010.

Van Leeuwen, Jean. Oliver and Albert, Friends Forever. Albert, the new student in Oliver's school, is taller than his pig classmates and he can read. But at recess Oliver and his friends realize that Albert can't play kickball and that he likes bugs. Soon the whole class is studying the critters. BR 13493.

Brenner, Barbara. If You Were an Ant ... . What is it like to be dwarfed by an appleseed or to live under a rock and dine on worms, bits of lizard, and picnic leftovers? RC 07926.

Freschet, Berniece. The Web in the Grass. A small black spider spins her lacy web, traps her food, and escapes from her many enemies to lay hundreds of tiny eggs. RC 08970.

Horowitz, Ruth. Breakout at the Bug Lab. When a giant cockroach named Max escapes from their mother's bug laboratory, Leo and his brother need to find him before important visitors arrive. The boys receive help from a mysterious lady who advises them to think like a bug in order to catch one. RC 54623.

Kline, Suzy W. Horrible Harry and the Ant Invasion. Horrible Harry is a second-grader with a knack for mischief. When Miss Mackle's ant farm arrives, it's plain to all that Mrs. Foxworth, the school secretary, is scared to death of ants. So Harry places the vial of ants on top of her yogurt in the teachers' refrigerator! RC 39113.

Kraus, Robert. Spider's First Day at School. Summer was over. It was Spider's first day back at school, and he had the jitters. Who would be his new teacher? Who would be his new classmates? Spiders don't make friends easily, and he was worried. RC 30902.

Spinelli, Eileen. Sophie's Masterpiece: a Spider's Tale. Sophie the spider makes wondrous webs, but the residents of Beekman's Boardinghouse do not appreciate her until at last, old and tired, she weaves her final masterpiece. RC 53568.

Cowcher, Helen. Rain Forest. The sloths, anteaters, birds, monkeys, and other creatures of the rain forest sense something more powerful than the jaguar threatening their world. Machines, cutting and spoiling! Print-braille and cassette. Kit 47.

Rohmer, Harriet. Mother Scorpion Country (La Tierra De La Madre Escorpion); A Legend from the Miskito Indians of Nicaragua. A brave young Miskito Indian, Naklili, accompanies his beloved wife when she dies, to Mother Scorpion Country--land of the spirits. A tender and classic tale reminiscent of the legend of Orpheus and Eurydice. Bilingual print, braille & cassette in English and Spanish. Kit 60.

Avi. The End of the Beginning: Being the Adventures of a Small Snail (and an Even Smaller Ant). After reading many books, Avon, a rather small snail, decides he needs adventures to be happy. As Avon sets out, he is joined by Edward, a take-charge ant, on a journey to no particular place in search of new experiences. BR 15790.

Cushman, Doug. Inspector Hopper's Mystery Year. The grasshopper detective Inspector Hopper and his partner McBugg solve four different mysteries--one in each season of the year. Beginning chapter book. BR 15176.

Keller, Beverly. Fiona's Bee. Shy Fiona rescues a drowning bee from her dog dish and takes him to the park for a snack. On the way, she attracts a host of new friends and gains considerable fame. BR 03490.

Lobel, Arnold. Grasshopper on the Road. When lighthearted Grasshopper sets out to follow the road wherever it takes him, he runs into some memorable characters. He meets an exclusive club of beetles, a meticulous housefly who wants to sweep the whole world clean, and a worm who becomes angry when Grasshopper takes a big bite out of his apple house. BR 05082.

Shaw, Janet. Kirsten Saves the Day: a Summer Story. When Kirsten and Peter's puppy gets stung by a bee, they discover the nearby hive full of honey. Kirsten's pioneer family can use the honey to trade for goods. But her decision to harvest the honey herself leads to trouble. BR 10875/RC 43755.

Tripp, Valerie. Molly Saves the Day: a Summer Story. Molly and her friends are having a great time at summer camp during World War II, but each girl has a problem: Molly can't swim underwater, Susan can't paddle a canoe straight, and Linda is afraid of wiggly bugs. As the camp's Color War begins, each girl must overcome her obstacle. BR 10935.

Wilder, Laura Ingalls. Hard Times on the Prairie. Laura and her pioneer family struggle against the hardships of living on the Kansas frontier that include a prairie fire, a grasshopper invasion, and a blizzard. BR 13976.

Conklin, Gladys P. Praying Mantis, the Garden Dinosaur. Describes how this curious insect is born, how it lives, how it got its name, and how it differs from other insects. Includes tips on keeping a pet praying mantis. RC 15057.

Dorros, Arthur. Ant Cities. Did you know that there are over 10,000 different kinds of ants? The different kinds of ants have found many ways to make their cities, so they can live in many kinds of places. This book describes how ants live and work together to build and maintain their cities. RC 32473.

Hornblow, Leonora. Insects Do the Strangest Things. Describes nineteen insects that have peculiar characteristics, including the praying mantis, whirligig beetle, and walking stick. RC 12749.

Micucci, Charles. The Life and Times of the Honeybee. Covers the life cycle of the honeybee, introducing the three types of bees and their specific jobs within the colony. Also explains how they make honey, shows how beekeepers help in the production, and discusses the various types of honey. Includes a history of bees beginning in the age of dinosaurs. RC 46172.

Pinkney, Jerry. Aesop's Fables. A collection of nearly sixty fables from the Greek thinker Aesop. Includes such well-known tales as "The Fox and the Grapes," "The Shepherd Boy and the Wolf," and "The Grasshopper and the Ants." RC 52555.

Selsam, Millicent E. Where Do They Go? Insects in Winter. Explains what happpens to insects when the leaves begin to fall and the earth grows hard. RC 21810.

Stevens, Carla. Insect Pets: Catching and Caring for Them. A guide to capturing and caring for seven insects such as water striders, antlions, and fireflies. Includes directions for making homes for the insects and observing them. RC 12853.

Jimenez, Francisco. La Mariposa. Because he can only speak Spanish, Francisco, son of a migrant worker, has trouble when he begins first grade, but his fascination with the caterpillar in the classroom helps him begin to fit in. Print-braille and cassette. Kit 87.

Rylant, Cynthia. Henry and Mudge in the Green Time: The 3rd Book of Their Adventures. It's summertime! For Henry and his big dog Mudge that means going on a picnic (where Henry is stung by a bee), taking a bath under the garden hose, and climbing to the top of the green hill next to Henry's house. Kit 97/BR 07256.

Bailey, Jill. How Spiders Make Their Webs. Explains spiders' ability to create webs and describes specialized uses of webs--as trapdoors and diving bells, for example. Discusses how the silk produced to make webs also provides spiders' homes, protects their eggs, and signals an invitation to potential mates. BR 11760.

Belpré, Pura. Perez and Martina; a Portorican folk tale. This old Puerto Rican nonsense tale deals with the tragic love affair of a cockroach and a mouse. The Spanish text is bound with the English. BR 00522.

Bonner, Hannah. When Bugs were Big, Plants were Strange, and Tetrapods Stalked the Earth: a cartoon prehistory of life before dinosaurs. Describes Earth 320 million years ago, at the end of the Paleozoic Era. Discusses the plants, insects, sea life, amphibians, and reptiles thriving at that time. Print-braille. BR 10042.

Busch, Phyllis S. Backyard Safaris: 52 Year-round Science Adventures. Thirteen activities for each of the four seasons that explore the wonders of nature. Includes such activities as measuring raindrops, catching and keeping snowflakes, tracking animals in the winter, hunting for insect eggs, and investigating dead trees for signs of life. BR 10986.

Chinery, Michael. How Bees Make Honey. Explains the honeybee's physical characteristics that enable it to gather pollen and nectar. Describes how honeybees communicate directions, produce honey, and nurture their grubs. BR 11766.

Bornstein, Ruth. Butterfles and Lizards, Beryl and Me. In 1934, eleven-year-old Charlotte and her mother move to tiny Valley Junction, Missouri, where Charlotte befriends an eccentric old woman in spite of her mother's and others' warnings. Elizabeth Burr/Worzalla Award finalist 2002. Taped by VSVH, Inc. RCW 564.

Camper, Cathy. Bugs Before Time: Prehistoric Insects and Their Relatives. Interesting facts about ancient insects (before the time of dinosaurs), some of which--cockroaches, centipedes, and dragonflies--still inhabit our world. Discusses their physical traits, way of life, and natural environment. RC 56567.

Facklam, Mary. Spiders and Their Web Sites. Introduces twelve spiders with distinctive features and discusses the daddy longlegs, which is neither a spider nor an insect. Presents interesting facts about their appearance and behavior. RC 56406.

George, Jean Craighead. The Firebug Connection: an Ecological Mystery. Maggie Mercer is spending the summer with her parents at a research center in Maine where she enjoys studying insects in the area. As Maggie leans out of her window the morning of her twelfth birthday, a raven flies straight toward her, and Maggie recalls her grandmother's warning that a murder will take place if that happens. Then the firebugs in Maggie's collection begin to die. RC 39816.

He, Leyi. The Spring of Butterflies, and Other Folktales of China's Minority Peoples. Collection of fourteen folktales of mystery and adventure, reflecting the traditions of some of the non-Chinese subcultures in this very large country. RC 26054.

Hutchins, Ralph. A Look at Ants. Describes the amazing world of ants including physical characteristics, habits, and natural environment of various kinds. RC 12164.

Maguire, Gregory. Seven Spiders Spinning: the Hamlet Chronicles; 1. Seven baby spiders from the Ice Age make their way to a rural, 20th-century Vermont classroom. As they find themselves in deadly predicaments, the spiders plot revenge on the hated humans. Finally one bites the beloved Miss Earth, and the school children must band together to save her. RC 43314.

Max, Jill. Spider Spins a Story: 14 Legends from Native America. Presents folk tales from various native peoples including the Kiowa, Zuni, Cherokee, Hopi, Navajo, and Muskogee, all featuring the spider character. RC 57328.

Osborne, Mary Pope. Spider Kane and the Mystery Under the May-Apple. Much to his mother's disapproval, butterfly Leon Leafwing falls madly in love with gorgeous gossamer-winged Mimi--who has a past. When Mimi is kidnapped, Leon and his friends seek out sleuth Spider Kane. They all travel to the Dark Swamp in search of Mimi, who has been forced into the service of the evil Emperor Moth. RC 36365.

Warner, Gertrude Chandler. The Black Widow Spider Mystery: Boxcar Children Specials; 21. Henry, Jessie, Violet, and Benny volunteer to help the new couple down the street unpack. The slightly unusual Blackwells have decorated their front gate with spiders and filled their house with mysterious boxes. The children are convinced the neighbors are hiding something. RC 60058.

White, E. B. Charlotte's Web. A little girl who can talk to animals is devoted to both Wilbur, the foolishly smug pig, and Charlotte, the beautiful gray spider who saves Wilbur's life. RC 46839.

Williams, Barbara. Desert Hunter: the Spider Wasp. Desert confrontation between a tarantula and a pepsis wasp who must paralyze and capture the spider to serve as host for the wasp egg she will soon lay. RC 10588.

Wyeth, Sharon Dennis. Vampire Bugs: Stories Conjured from the Past. Six short African American and Native American folk tales that incorporate historical characters and facts. The title story is a myth about the origin of lightning bugs. RC 41000.

Buck, Margaret Waring. In Woods and Fields. Arranged by season and habitat, this is a guide to many birds, bugs, small animals, trees, flowers, and shrubs found in the U.S. BR 02014.

Climo, Shirley. Someone Saw a Spider: Spider Facts and Folktales. Collection from around the world of myths, folktales, and superstitions about spiders, as well as assorted facts about these fascinating creatures. BR 06789.

Parker, Nancy Winslow. Bugs. Horseflies, ants, fleas, and crickets! This book presents jokes, general information, and brief descriptions of the characteristics, habits, and environments of sixteen common insects. BR 07529.

Warren, Andrea. Pioneer Girl: Growing Up on the Prairie. Recounts the life of Grace McCance, whose family settled a Nebraska homestead in 1885 when she was only three years old. Grace and her sisters helped to work the farm as they contended with bugs, snakes, blizzards, and wildfires. Based on her memoirs. BR 12604.

Zollman, Pam. Don't Bug Me! Sixth-grader Megan needs twenty-five insects for a science project, but her five-year-old brother Alexander doesn't want her to kill them. Then pesky classmate Charlie embarrasses Megan before the whole class. As the deadline approaches, she takes some risks. BR 15519.

Causey, Don. Killer Insects, A survey of common and uncommon insects that cause human deaths. Includes rat fleas, killer bees, wasps, tsetse flies, army ants, and the kissing or assassin bug. Explains how they spread disease and how science works to control them. RC 17028.

Fangberg, James K. Do Bees Sneeze? An entomologist answers 210 questions about insects asked by school children. The queries cover topics such as abundance and existence, body parts and functions, homes and habitats, food for insects and insects as food, and health and safety. RC 46624.

Jackson, Donna M. The Bug Scientists. Profiles three entomologists, whose careers involve the study of insects. Combines biographical information about the scientists with facts about insects and their behavior. Discusses monarch butterflies; the life cycle of blow flies, which are used in forensics; ant colonies; and handling insects featured in movies. RC 60167.

Oberman, Sheldon. Solomon and the Ant, and Other Jewish Folktales. More than forty tales from oral tradition, with historical notes and commentary. In the title story, an ant teaches the great king a lesson in humility. 2006 Sydney Taylor Book Award Honor Book. RC 62842.

Patent, Dorothy H. How Insects Communicate. How small animals make loud sounds; how insects "hear" through their legs; how fireflies communicate using light, and more interesting. RC 12067.

Sherlock, Philip M. Anansi the Spider Man: Jamaican Folk Tales. Fifteen West Indian stories about the Caribbean folk hero Anansi, who becomes a spider when he is in danger. RC 19896.

Turner, Ann Warren. Grasshopper Summer. Eager to take advantage of the Homestead Act, Sam's father moves the family from Kentucky to the Dakota Territory. Sam, eleven, is unhappy about the move, and the long, hard journey reaffirms his unhappiness. The loneliness of the prairie, the deprivation he finds, and the backbreaking work add to his distress. But he and his family survive even a grueling fight with the grasshoppers, and Sam comes to see their sod house as home. RC 33086.

Van Leeuwen, Jean. Blue Sky, Butterfly. Eleven-year-old Twig is devastated by her parents' separation. Her mother mopes around the house all day; the laundry is piling up and the refrigerator is empty. Her older brother is almost never home and stays in his room when he is, and her father has his own apartment, which Twig refuses to visit. Life is difficult--until Grandma Ruthie arrives. RC 45664.

Louis Braille Center. Braille Workbox: Aesop's Fables. This 4-part unit explores the development and use of Braille, using Aesop's animal fables as a learning text. Kit 130.

Cohen, Peter Zachary. Bee. Herb, who loves animals, takes an unpaid ranch job for the experience. Given a horse that he can't handle, he finds himself caught one night between a gang of cattle rustlers and the horse he can't trust. BR 02361.

Jenkins, Jerry B. Attack of Apollyon. In this sequel to Darkening Skies (RC 55386, BR 14604), freezing temperatures are enveloping the world. As Judd and Lionel decide their next move, Vicki brings the kids together in the schoolhouse. Then a strange star falls to earth and suddenly there are locusts everywhere. BR 15184.

Lally, Soinbhe. A Hive for the Honeybee. Three-day-old worker bee Thora is already on duty, active in the life cycle of the beehive. Belle, another worker, instructs Thora about responsibility, but her friends the drones, Mo and Alfred, teach her about the mysteries and choices of life. BR 12704.

Anderson, Margaret J. Children of Summer: Henri Fabre's Insects. A fictionalized account of the research of 19th-century entomologist Jean Henri Fabre. Fabre's ten-year-old son tells of his father's extensive studies on insect behavior. He describes the novel experiments and fascinating discoveries about beetles, wasps, moths, and other tiny creatures. RC 45413.

Fletcher, Ralph J. Spider Boy. Seventh-grader Bobby Ballenger is having a difficult time adjusting to a new school. He is a loner and spends a lot of time with his pet tarantula, Thelma. The kids at school call him Spider Boy. Bobby also makes up a lot of stories, and before long, he finds himself caught in the web of one of his own tales. RC 46915.

Kennedy, X.J. The Owlstone Crown. Lewis O. Ladybug, private detective, has startling news for the orphan twins, Timothy and Verity Tibbs. He reports that the twins' grandparents are still alive. They are the prisoners of a dictator and his army of stone owls in a world called "Other Earth." Timothy and Verity gather their courage and set out to rescue them. RC 23495.

King-Smith, Dick. Spider Sparrow. A baby abandoned on an English farm develops differently physically and mentally from other children. Nicknamed Spider for his strange way of walking, he has a gift for communicating with animals. As Spider grows up, he makes a special place in the heart of his community. RC 54094.

Patent, Dorothy H. The Lives of Spiders. Describes many different kinds of spiders, adaptable little animals that can be found from the frozen north to the desert, in country and city. RC 21314.

For questions about this information, contact Shiela A. Pollock (608) 224-5395

Last updated on 3/25/2008 7:15:11 AM