  | Full Text Reviews: School Library Journal - 10/01/2007 PreS-Gr 3-Fans of Diary of a Spider (2005) and Diary of a Worm (2003, both HarperCollins) will be thrilled with this latest mix of whimsy and scientific fact. Fly, a sassy insect with a red bow on her purple head, writes in her diary about her first-day-of-school worries (will everyone else eat regurgitated food?), the challenges of fly-school classes, a visit to her aunt who is stuck on the wrong side of a screen door, and playdates with her pals Worm and Spider. The ick factor is ramped up from the previous two books, which will delight buggy fans even more. Learning about the food chain according to Worm-an explanation illustrated by Spider's Grandfather holding a fork over Fly, as well as the ladybug babysitter's method of keeping a lid on mischief by bringing a frog along to keep order while she reads her Teen Bugs magazine-will have kids laughing out loud. Fly's dream of being a superhero and her doubts that she can be one is a feeling children will respond to-as well as Worm's encouragement when he tells her, "the world needs all kinds of heroes." As usual, the attention to detail (flies sitting on thumbtack seats at a toothpaste-box table in the cafeteria, Fly in her time-out is just glowing eyes on a two-page black spread) and a lively layout that has a comic-book vibe are sure to appeal. Hilarious.-Susan Moorhead, New Rochelle Public Library, NY Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information. - Copyright 2007 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission. Booklist - 11/01/2007 In Diary of a Worm (2003) and Diary of a Spider (2005), Cronin and Bliss make two of nature’s least-appealing creatures into perfectly charming journal keepers. Just as likable is their new diarist, a young fly decked out in a fetching red bow, who first appeared in Spider’s diary. The hopes, fears, and daily concerns Fly sets down seem worlds away from kids’ lives: Will Fly be considered odd at school for her predilection for regurgitated food? What’s the best way to deal with her 327 siblings? As one who eats horse manure, has 4,000 lenses in each eye, and can walk on walls, is she better than the superhero she dreams of becoming? Even so, children may well find a certain familiarity in the emotions underlying Fly’s words. Bliss’ colorful cartoon illustrations are the perfect counterbalance to the humorous irony in Cronin’s text. Like its predecessors, this diary is a crowd pleaser. - Copyright 2007 Booklist. Loading...
 |