Customer Reviews

Benny Buggles

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

While doing the Saturday morning chores, I was listening to the radio. A program on dreams was on, and an author was asked if she wrote for children or for adults. She answered for both. Aren't all children's books read by adults first? All adults were children once.
Benny Buggles and the Termite Elimination is a parable, a perfectly told story without a false note. The level of vocabulary employed by William Just is not that of a child, and yet his story has been written free of lingering sadness nor building anger. Time is suspended, his target audience becoming our inner child. Benny Buggles's struggle to become an artist is ours and perhaps also that of the author Mr. Just, or should I say Bill? Once in a while you come upon that rare children's book that contains many levels of comprehension. Of even fewer adult books can that be said! Benny Buggles is that rare adult find where sexual identity and friendship go hand in hand peacefully, where the termites' duty is easily interwined with redemption within the family.
Mr. Just has made many fine observations. It's about the termite's emotions and their reflections on life. If you are looking for a dissection of how termites live (do they have a king and queen?), this is not a scientific textbook. There is the occasional rough spot win the narrative where the reader would like to know more, would like to see, rather than imagine, but the parable's overarching logic carries him along without any regret. The real strength of this parable, as must be the case for all parables, is the author's voice. We hear clearly and it rocks us gently into this other universe. There are echos of an American Harry Potter here, such as when Benny moves to the West Coast art school Auriana, leaving behind the seemingly oppresive mid-western home state. Why not? Also the secondary characters are round and well understood.

Benny is my new hero. I loved the characters so much, I kept forgetting they were termites. They were adorable, and such a wonderful message. Will there be another book?

There's more to aspire to in life than chomping on wood. "Benny Buggles and the Termite Elimination" tells the story of a termite with dreams by the name of Benny Buggles. Wanting to become an artist, he finds resistance, as no one expects him to be nothing more than every other termite in Kansas. An entertaining tale of youth and dreams, "Benny Buggles and the Termite Elimination" is an inspirational pick for young readers.

I originally bought this book for my 12 year old son but found myself reading and enjoying it, maybe even more than he was! It's an all ages kind of story that keeps you turning the pages faster than you even realize. I really liked it because I love books that have inspirational themes, and this one certainly has some nice themes and lessons that any child (or even adult!) could benefit from.

I kept reading because I wanted to find out what would happen to Benny and if he would ultimately be successful. There's alot of humor mixed in with the story that I found really refreshing for a children's kind of book and that I could appreciate as an adult.

When they get to the art academy in California, the dean of the school has alot of positive messages for Benny and the students that helps them grow alot, and I have to say that he is probably my favorite character of them all. There are also some "evil" kind of characters that you just love to despise, which makes the story that much more interesting. One of them is a girl who seems to only want to use Benny for whatever she can get out of him. The sad thing is, Benny just doesn't seem to get it.

The plot twists quite a bit near the end of the book, and makes for some of the most memorable parts of the story. I especially like what happens with Twiggy and the true character that he demonstrates when things don't go as expected and he is forced to make a huge decision. I also like how Cassie has always been there for Benny through thick and thin and never gave up hope.

Overall I would definitely recommend this book for any ages from young adult to adult. Just a word of caution: some of the vocabulary might be too advanced for much younger readers, but if anything it can help them to learn some vocabulary I suppose, which reading is always good for anyway.