Insects Are My Life [Hardcover]

Megan Mcdonald (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 4 and up

No one at home or school understands Amanda Frankenstein's devotion to insects until she meets Maggie.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Pigtailed and bespectacled-and with a freckled, round face and turned-up nose-Amanda Frankenstein looks like a junior pedant. And perhaps she is. Crazy about insects, the strong-willed girl dumps her brother's fireflies out of the jar and informs him, "Bugs are people, too, you know." Amanda amasses a huge collection of bugs ("Dead ones, of course"), is proud of the number of mosquito bites on her leg (22) and utters the dramatic claim stated in the book's title. Incessantly talking about (and even acting like) various insects, she antagonizes her brother and classmates. The plot wears thin, although some of Amanda's antics are engaging and many of McDonald's (Is This a House for Hermit Crab?) lines are quite funny (when the aspiring entomologist puts her feet on the kitchen table because, she announces, butterflies have taste buds in their feet, her mother orders her to "please keep your taste buds on the floor"). Johnson's (The Cow Who Wouldn't Come Down) animated watercolor, colored-pencil and pastel illustrations depend on exaggeration for their humor; even so, they are truer to life than the text in their depiction of ordinary feelings. Ages 4-7.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 3?Amanda loves bugs, a fact that no one else seems to appreciate. She examines them, collects them, protects them, and imitates their behavior. She even gets into trouble at home and at school because of them. Kids tease her, and one in particular, Victor, makes her life miserable. In one humorous exchange she calls him "... a stinkbug on the leaf of life." Then she discovers Maggie, a classmate who has a passion of her own?reptiles. Factual tidbits slipped surrepetitiously into the appealing text add information to this spirited tale. It's refreshing to have nonsqueamish female characters who are willing to take on all adversaries in defense of their causes. Full-page and vignette illustrations rendered in soft-hued watercolors, colored pencils, and pastels complement and add humor to the story. They are energetic, engaging, and entomologically correct. Insects Are My Life is an almost-perfect specimen.?Virginia Opocensky, formerly at Lincoln City Libraries, NE
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Scholastic (March 1, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0531068749
• ISBN-13: 978-0531068748
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 8.9 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,198,261 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

10 THINGS YOU MAY NOT KNOW ABOUT ME

10. The first book I ever wrote was about a hermit crab, inspired by a pet I once owned.

9. My favorite color is purple.

8. I love to read mysteries. When I was Judy's age, I read all 56 classic Nancy Drew books . . . in order! Jeepers!

7. I used to collect scabs so I could examine them under the microscope that I got for my 8th birthday.

6. My four sisters and I often made up our own language, which included the words "Hoidi Boidi", "oogey", "retzel crummypuss" and "poony-poony".

5. My favorite TV show is JEOPARDY!

4. To research my Sisters Club book, THE RULE OF THREE, I toured San Francisco in search of the ultimate cupcake. The winner: Sleepless in San Francisco. Think chocolate + coffee.

3. When I was a kid, I fell down a hill from chasing the ice-cream truck and had to get stitches.

2. When I was a librarian, I used to tell stories in sign language. That's how I got the expression "same-same" for Judy.

1. I share a birthday (February 28) with a famous princess, race car driver and gangster, a Rolling Stone, a French tightrope walker, and a winning racehorse named Smarty Jones.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "Insects Are My Life" is one of our favorite books., June 13, 2000

By 

Marilyn Burkman - See all my reviews

This review is from: Insects Are My Life (Hardcover)

My grandaughter (age 4 and a half) loves this story. All of us have felt a little at-odds with the world at times and Amanda Frankenstein is no exception. She is a strong heroine with a passion for insects. She is a "toughie" - she can jump from 3 stairs while wearing her butterfly wings and stand up to teasing in school. She is a resiliant and likeable little girl who eventually meets up with another whose passion is reptiles. I would definately check-out any offerings by this author.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Insects Are My Life, July 27, 2000

By 

Movie Lady - See all my reviews

This review is from: Insects Are My Life (Orchard Paperbacks) (Paperback)

I guess I am partial about liking this book. The reason is that I am the mother of the Amanda Frankenstein, whose name was used in this book. When the "real" Amanda was young, she too liked bugs. I thoroughly enjoy sharing this book with the students at my school where I teach. The students love the story and that my daughter's name is in the book. It is a special book to my family and I as well. Mrs. McDonald wrote a cute story showing how girls can like bugs and things of nature. She also showed how students can meet others who share similar likes.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Insects are great!, April 8, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Insects Are My Life (Hardcover)

I like when Amanda Frankentein loves insects so much that she tries to act like one. Amanda wants to even let bugs in her window! I like that part where Amanda finally finds a friend that is a little like herself. The illustrations are so colorful and make me feel like a part of Amanda's life.