Customer Reviews

The Bug That Plagued the Entire Third Grade

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Matt really wants to win the Bug-A-Fair at school with the unusual insect he found. But he's also caught another bug -- a cold! The cute play on words and spot-on rhyme in Lori Calabrese's text make "The Bug That Plagued the Entire Third Grade" a really fun book for elementary-aged kids and their parents alike. Kids will especially enjoy the surprise ending. Chet Taylor's illustrations are bright and lively and complement the story nicely.

"The Bug That Plagued the Entire Third Grade" is a handy health guide and fun manual that teaches kids ages 4-8 what they can do to prevent or slow the spread of disease and virus, or "bugs." Unfortunately Matt has a virus and is ill, with coughs and sniffles, but he has also caught a real bug that he desperately wants to enter in the school Bug-A-Fair. Despite his symptoms, his mother lets him go to school, where he learns both how to trap and find a real rare bug and how to be responsible for not spreading his very own illness bug. Of course he needs to stay home, rest, eat chicken soup, and not spread his germs, as well as wash his hands and cover his mouth when coughing and sneezing. "The Bug That Plagued the Entire Third Grade" is written in jaunty verse, illustrated with bright, cheerful colors, and packs a definite punch in the general area of child health care and disease prevention.

I really enjoyed this fun story about a boy desperately trying to win the school bug fair while also trying to avoid being sent home by his teacher for having a different kind of bug: a cold. Readers will enjoy the building tension that takes place centered on the interplay between the two types of `bugs' in the story. Will Matt's `bug' keep him from entering the Bug-A-Fair, or will Matt be able to capture the strange `bug' which escaped from him?

This story is really well done and I can see dads enjoying this book with both sons and daughters (yes, girls can love catching bugs too!). I also love how Lori developed teacher guides on germs and extinction so the book can be used in the classroom.

The Bug That Plagued the Entire Third Grade by Lori Calabrese is a wonderful story that incorporates all the nuances of language, the realistic concerns of teachers and the true-to-life interests of children, specifically boys! The illustrations also help the words come to life, for they are bright, full of expression and eye-catching as well.

The story revolves around a little boy Matt who wishes to become a shining star in his third grade class for finding the most unique bug. Unfortunately, the day he is to bring the bug to school he wakes up with a "bug". The day goes from bad to worse for endearing little Matt, but all in the end is just as it should be!

This is certainly an excellent story that many kids will want to read. I highly recommend it to all parents or teachers out there looking for a cute, funny and sweet story filled with colorful pictures!

When Matt finds an unfamiliar insect, he dreams of winning first prize in the Bug-A-Fair at school. But on the day of the event, he wakes up with sniffles. Between bugs in jars and Matt's cold germ "bug," the third grade is in for an exciting day.

The Bug that Plagued the Entire Third Grade was a fun read. I loved how the author incorporated the double meaning of the word "bug" to create a clever, amusing story. The colorful, cartoon-like illustrations fit the story well, showing characters' emotions and adding to the humor.

I recommend this book for anyone who enjoys a funny story, told in rhyme. "The Bug" would work well for reading aloud to a class and would make an entertaining supplement for an elementary health, science or language arts curriculum.

Lori Calabrese's THE BUG THAT PLAGUED THE ENTIRE THIRD GRADE is a fun story for young readers about a boy and a bug, a natural combination.

Matt plans to enter the bug he pried off the grill of his dad's car in the school's Bug-a-Fair. He doesn't know what kind of bug it is, but if he can win he'll be the most popular kid in his class. When he catches a different kind of bug, a cold bug, Matt's dreams are in jeopardy. Even though his mom wants Matt to stay home from school, it's the day of the fair. He has to go. So Mom gives in and what follows is a hilarious day with a third-grader, his teacher, and a bug, umm, make that two bugs.

No, I'm not going to tell you what happens. I will say this is a great story, however, that will have young readers giggling and perhaps having a Bug-a-Fair of their own. Chet Taylor's artwork is priceless. The expressions on the characters' faces, including the bug's, add just the right touch to keep the reader turning pages.

As a former third grade teacher I can relate to the teacher's concern about spreading the cold bug. I recommend the book for children in first through third grades, along with their parents and anyone who knows little boys (or girls) who like bugs. Or even for the kids who think bugs are creepy. After reading Ms. Calabrese's story, they may decide bugs are pretty cool. A very nice debut book.

Article first published as Book Review: The Bug That Plagued the Entire Third Grade by Lori Calabrese on Blogcritics.

Would you like to take a trip down memory lane? Do you remember being in the 3rd grade? I do not recall being in the third grade, but I remember quite well when my three children attended third grade. I will never forget the many times they scared me half to death by bringing home snakes and many other creatures. Just like Matt, they too were very much into bugs . Lori Calabrese's book "The Bug That Plagued the Entire Third Grade" is a delightful story about Matt. Matt is determined to enter his school's Bug- A-Fair. To enter the contest he must present a bug. Lucky for Matt, he found the perfect bug, but things took a turn for the worst after Matt became ill with a cold.

After coming down with a cold, Matt had to convince his mom to let him go to school so he can submit his priceless bug to the Bug-A-Fair. His mother agreed. Matt proudly arrives to school to submit his bug, but much to his dismay, after a strong sneeze, the lid came off the bug jar and his bug flew away into the third grade class.

Will Matt be able to capture his bug in time to enter the school's contest? Or will his teacher send him home to recover from his cold? This story will warm your heart because it showcases the adventures of a young boy who wants to impress his teacher and win the attention of his fellow classmates.
Reading the story will surely bring a huge smile to your face, just like it did me, because it reminded me so much of similar adventures my three children and their friends experienced during their elementary years in school. Every elementary school should have a copy of this precious book in their school library!

Boys and bugs go hand-in-hand! At least that's the case with Matt and the supposedly very rare bug he captured and the all to common flu bug he caught too. Matt is on a fast paced mission to win the Bug-A-Fair. His goal is to top Nicholas and his dinosaur bone. He looks through his book of backyard bugs and can't seem to find which bug it is.
When Matt arrives to his class that is when things get really interesting. With one big sneeze from Matt the bug escapes his jar. The mysterious bug plagues the class room by getting into Nick's apple juice, Mrs. Walters hair, and Sue's apple sauce.
And while the mystery bug is buzzing about so is Matt. As he tries to capture is prize insect he unknowingly is spreading the other microscopic bug around the entire classroom. You will have to read the story to see if Matt catches his mystery bug and if anyone else in the class catches the flu bug.

This wonderfully animated and colorful book will have readers turning the pages to see what happens next. The rhyming will send your tongue twisting and bouncing with every word. Parents and teachers will love this book along with anyone who loves a bug adventure.

A bug enthusiast, Matt ventures on his quest to find the most unusual bug to present at the school Bug-A-Fair and that is when the play on words causes chaos of the strangest kind. For you see not only did Matt discover a bug which he was sure would secure him the accolades of his teachers and classmates he caught the dreaded cold bug too.

As persuasive as Matt can be his mother allowed him to attend school to submit his bug into the Bug-A-Fair. In attempts to control his sniffles Matt exploded with a forceful sneeze flipping the lid clear off the bug jar when he arrived at school and the bug flew right into the third grade.

Matt's excitement overflows as well as his running nose and he bursts into his classroom to capture the bug once again. The obstacles he encounters with his teacher who is focused on Matt's cold bug will have you chuckling and cheering for the bugs capture. Will Matt succeed and convince his teacher that he truly captured an unusual bug for real or will he be sent home because he caught the cold bug? Find out while you read the hilarious tale of The Bug That Plagued the Entire Third Grade told in perfect rhyme.

After Matt finds a bug on his dad's car he knows for sure he'll win his school's Bug-A-Fair. But as luck would have it, Matt catches a cold and gets sent back to bed.

Matt convinces his mom to let him go to school so he can enter the Bug-A-Fair. But when Matt arrives at school and gets out of the car, he sneezes so hard he blows the lid off the jar. Matt's prize bug flies out and into the third grade class.

Does Matt capture his bug in time for the Bug-A-Fair or does his teacher send him home because he has the bug? This story shows a boy's passion for bugs, his enthusiasm to enter the bug fair and his desire for attention from other kids at school.

This book was lots of fun and will surely be a delight to any child who loves science and bugs or just wants to enjoy a wonderful and warm story.