Beetle Boy (The Battle Of The Beetles #1)

Local Description

REVIEW: "Fans of madcap adventures and anthropomorphised sidekicks will enjoy this fast-paced series opener." --Booklist

"Hand this to students who like to laugh and who like their mysteries combined with adventure." --School Library Connection
"If I didn't already devote most of my waking hours to beetles, reading this book would make me want to . . . " --Max Barclay, Coleoptera Collections Manager, Natural History Museum, London
"M.G. Leonard does a fantastic job weaving a page turning mystery with cool facts about science and bugs . . . If you love Roald Dahl, Lemony Snickett, or even 101 Dalmatians you are truly going to enjoy this book." --YA and Kids Books Central (online)
"[M.G. Leonard's] dialogue is dark and punchy and her plot thrilling; by the end you can do nothing but hail her as an original new voice in children's literature. I predict Beetle-mania." --The Times (UK)
"What really makes this book memorable is the supporting cast, researched in fascinating detail . . . The discovery that a seemingly powerless band of creatures can be possessed of such skill, beauty, and strength should keep this gem on many a bedroom and library shelf for years to come." --The Guardian (UK)
"Leonard's rich storytelling channels the spirit of classic children's fiction with a wholly original slant . . . It's a cracking mystery adventure, with plenty of Roald Dahl-esque humor to engage readers . . . A truly exciting debut." --The Bookseller (UK)
"Parents be warned: this enchanting story is likely to make beetles very popular pets." --Daily Telegraph (UK)

 

Description

Darkus Cuttle can't believe his eyes when a huge insect drops off the pants leg of his horrible new neighbor. It's a giant beetle - and it seems to want to communicate. But how can a boy be friends with a beetle? 

But how can a boy be friends with a beetle? And what does a beetle have to do with the disappearance of his dad and the arrival of the terrifying Lucretia Cutter, with her taste for creepy fashion?
The first book of a trilogy, Beetle Boy is a darkly hilarious adventure full of exotic beetles, daring schemes, and true friendship.

"Even the most squeamish will be charmed." --Publishers Weekly, starred review
"A cracking mystery adventure, with plenty of Roald Dahl-esque humor to engage readers." --The Bookseller (UK)
"Truly great storytelling." --Michael Morpurgo, author of War Horse

Awards

Shortlisted for Waterstones Children's Book Prize: Younger Fiction 2017.

Author description

M. G. Leonard is a writer of books, poems and screenplays. She has a first-class honours degree in English literature and an MA in Shakespeare Studies from Kings College London. She works in London as the Senior Digital Producer for the National Theatre, and previously worked at the Royal Opera House and Shakespeares Globe. She spent her early career in the music industry running Setanta Records, an independent record label, and managing bands, most notably The Divine Comedy. After leaving the music industry, she trained as an actor, dabbling in directing and producing as well as performing, before deciding to write her stories down. Maya lives in Brighton with her partner and two sons.