Many thanks to Netgalley in providing me an e-ARC of the book.

I enjoyed reading “Boy Bites Bug” for many reasons. Firstly, I really liked Will as the main protagonist. He makes impulsive decisions, but he learns from his mistakes, like when he accidentally says something offensive to Eloy. He learns to be brave by standing up for his friends and doing the right thing. In short, the author has portrayed Will as a realistic kid growing up. Eloy and his family were also good as support characters. However, Simon was my favorite character in the novel, as he was hilarious and silly. The author has touched on the issue of racism, and also brought something new to the table by introducing entomophagy.

I think it is a very interesting topic that has not been touched on middle grade genre before (or I have not come across it yet). Considering that our population is increasing and we have limited resources, entomophagy is a good way of exploring insects as a food alternative, and the author provides important information and resources at the end to learn more. Even though I still get queasy by the thought of eating bugs, after reading this book, I was curious to try it if I ever got the chance. The book also covers wrestling, which I thought was a great idea to encourage male readers to read this book.

Probably the only thing that could have been better was resolving Will and Darryl’s friendship. I did not feel like there was any closure to their arguments. Considering that they have been friends for so long, I felt that they would have worked out their differences. Even though I knew their friendship wouldn’t be as strong anymore, I was hoping there would be a conversation between them to try resolving it.

Overall, I enjoyed reading “Boy Bites Bug” and would give it a rating of 4/5 stars.

Conversations about racism are vital. We need to humanize the "other" so young people don't think racism is acceptable. And that means portrayals like this one, where the racism is more subtle. Not just hate speech but being dismissive of a group, making assumptions based on appearance and race, treating aspects of culture as a joke. We need to see not just the friends using a racial slur but the protagonist making assumptions about Eloy's house and parents on the basis of race. I also really like the elements of insect eating, and the indepth exploration.

Will Nolan is an average middle school student until his longtime friend Darryl makes a comment about the race of a new student, Eloy, who is Hispanic. Will isn't sure how to react, but quickly shoves a live stinkbug into his mouth as a distraction. After this incident, Will is determined to both get to know Eloy, and learn more about entomophagy, or eating bugs. These two interests intersect when Will learns that Eloy has eaten a grasshopper in Oaxaca, where the insects are sold in markets. Will struggles as he balances learning more about his new friend and recognizing his own stereotypes and expectations. This struggle plays out when Will's class presentation backfires, and when he visits Eloy's house, shocked to discover that Eloy's family is decidedly…just like his own. Will isn't perfect, but what middle schooler is? Boy Bites Bug's unique subject matter will likely pique the interest of many readers, who will hopefully stick around and consider their own stereotypes.

E ARC from Edelweiss Plus



Will has been friends with Darryl and Simon in his small Minnesota town for as long as he can remember. When there is a stink bug invasion in the library and their teacher steps out for a moment, Darryl makes racist comments about Eloy, who has recently moved to town. Will is so surprised and disturbed by his friend's comments that he tries to deflect attention from them... by eating a stink bug. Needless to say, this is not a great idea, and Will gets in a lot of trouble. He's unsure how to deal with his friend, but starts talking to Eloy more and finds out that he is interested in wrestling. The season is just starting, and Will has been waiting for it for a long time. He and Eloy are about the only 7th graders on the team, and the two start spending more time together. The "Bug Boy" label is firmly attached to Will, however, and he's trying hard to figure a way around it. For a group science project on insects, he works with Eloy on the subject of entomophagy and works with Eloy's father (who runs a Mexican restaurant that is one of Will's favorites) to bring fried crickets to their presentation. He doesn't do the appropriate paperwork, and gets in a lot of trouble. Eloy feels, with some reason, that Will was making fun of his culture. Will is very confused-- he wants to be friends with Eloy and enjoys the time they spend together at wrestling-- but he seems unable to address Eloy's cultural background without being a complete jerk. He is constantly apologizing but usually getting things wrong. In conjunction with the science project, and to raise money for a teacher with cancer, Will comes up with an idea for a Buck-a-Bug bake sale, and gets Eloy's father to help. In the meantime, he also seems to be a thoughtless jerk to Darryl, which is easy to do after Darryl puts ants in his and Eloy's wrestling singlets. Still, Will tries desperately to be the better person, and tries to overcome his reputation as Bug Boy while making things as right as he can with his friends.

Strengths: This has WRESTLING in it, and the details are really good! There is also the gross out factor of bugs and cooking, but there are also a lot of good reasons for the consumption of insects. I bet Ms. Petruck has an awesome school presentation for this book! Will's struggle to hit the right note with his friends is so painfully true to life, and I know that the plight of children who are not of Germanic or Norwegian descent in Minnesota must be a lot tougher than it is here in Ohio. (I have relatives in Iowa who spoke German in school before WWII who are NOT happy with Mexican immigrants, which I have trouble understanding.) The families are supportive and understanding of the difficulties middle school students have with social interaction, and Will's sister is especially wonderful, considering the bugs with which she has to put up! I really enjoyed this one.
Weaknesses: Will's angst goes on a tiny bit longer than necessary, and the descriptions of ingesting insects are not for the faint of stomach.
What I really think: This is an excellent addition to any middle school collection. The wrestling will draw readers in, and the friendship issues will keep them riveted. The bugs... the students will enjoy much more than I did!

There was a lot I loved about this book--that it started with a legal warning about the recipes included. Kids, don’t try making chocolate-covered ants or wax worm cookies without consulting your parents! And there were so many laugh-out-loud moments!

But the book is not just about laughs. There is real heart in the struggles Will has with how to be loyal to old friends and new ones, and as he wrestles with how his mistakes have hurt those around him. The story has a quick pace and characters the seem ready to step off the pages. It’s a great book for middle schools interested in bugs, wrestling, or just dealing with friendships as they and the people around them grow up and change. Highly recommended!

This is a really fun, engaging book with a cool gross-factor, but not too gross for squeamish readers. There are also really thoughtful relationships and character growth. Friendships and racial issues are explored. I read this aloud to my kids and we all enjoyed it a lot!

This was not only a fun read but a great exploration of friendship. As a Latina, I appreciated the author’s treatment of Eloy and his family and Will’s interaction with them. This is a fantastic read for the classroom and the bug recipes at the end make for great follow-up activities that would entertain all readers.

A charming middle grade work with a delightful amount of punny goodness. I love that I could hand sell this to some reluctant readers interested in sports, insects, food, and realistic fiction. The friendship of Will and Eloy touches upon timely considerations of race and fitting in. My favorite aspect of the book was how believable the community felt and each of the characters within; the families, the school all felt familiar. And as a librarian, I loved that the library setting was central to the book. Note to self: avoid stinkbug infestation.