Thank you so much to NetGalley for the advance copy.

A heartwarming middle grade mystery inspired by TRUE events!

This will be an immediate add to my 5th grade classroom library! Inspired by a 2018 insectarium robbery in Philadelphia, The Bug Bandit centers around Liberty, a bug enthusiast, who overhears a plot to rob her father’s insectarium. She and her friends embark on a mission to stop the burglary from happening. I found Liberty and Cam’s friendship really endearing and immediately thought about how much my 5th graders would be able to relate to the two of them. The book was a well paced story perfect for middle grade readers who want a book full of mystery, adventure, and friendship. Readers will love unraveling the heist and trying to solve the mystery alongside the characters in the book.

Rounded up from 3.5 stars.

Home Alone meets A Night in the Museum in this clever middle-grade heist story by USA Today bestselling author Jenni L. Walsh. When a science-loving girl and her friends overhear a plot to rob her dad’s insectarium, they embark on a mission to stop the burglary of the museum’s rarest insects. Inspired by true events, this STEM-based adventure is perfect for fans of hijinks and mysteries. A clever story telling with a great plot story.

I throughly enjoyed this middle grade mystery. This encompasses intrigue mixed with bugs and new knowledge while also encasing platonic friendships and clever / creative ways to pull a fast one when it comes to saving what you love. I’ll definitely be purchasing this for my classroom come pub day. Thank you NetGalley for the early access to this quick read.

I feel a real affinity for Liberty, who loves bugs, beetles and butterflies. Descriptions of the insects and their behaviour is accurate, which only increased my overall enjoyment! Being seen as a little different among her peers shows how lonely Liberty could be, especially as her best friend has moved away, but there is an excellent theme of friendship in different turn throughout the story.

Based on a real life insectarium robbery, along with Home Alone references, this was a smart, pacy page turner and I became really invested in both the characters and events.

An enjoyable action-packed mystery that will grip readers and have them rooting for the good guys and marvelling at their ingenuity.

Liberty Jacobs lives with her dad at an insect museum which he runs. She knows all about the critters and is assisting her father in trying to get an investor to help so that they don’t lose their livelihood. When She overhears what she believes is going to be a robbery at the museum, she devises a plan with her friends to stop them from stealing their most valuable specimens.

You don’t have to be a bug lover to enjoy this middle grade adventure. The Home Alone antics make it all the more fun. This is a entertaining mystery for all readers.

Jenni L. Walsh does it again! The Bug Bandits is equal parts mystery, adventure, and . . . bug facts! I loved learning so much about various insects and the insectarium setting is brilliantly unique. Toss in the Home Alone vibes and this book is a winner!

I really liked Jenni Walsh's "The Bug Bandits" in a lot of ways. I liked the characters' relationships with each other, especially between the main girl and the boy. I loved the lighthearted tone. I appreciated the informative science facts that stayed within the lanes of the story.

Unfortunately, there were just too many white lies in this story for me to recommend it. I get that there's no adventure or story unless the kids somehow sneak around by themselves. That's fine. The lies were eventually addressed toward the end, but there were no consequences.

Even then, there was one last little white lie presented on the last couple pages that goes unchecked. I'm all for surprising people with secret plans; I get it. Kids are going to sneak off and tell stories from time to time; I get that too. But it seemed like there was an overemphasis on teaching kids that lying is okay, that it's part of life, and that they'll get away with it as long as the ends justify the means. It shouldn't have been a big red flag, but the author drew too much attention to it, even going as far as calling them "little white lies." It's a shame, because the rest of this book was very cute, engaging, and likable.

There were a couple lazy moments as well. Some of the "Home Alone" booby traps were not set up well in the writing, keeping the reader from fully appreciating the traps as they unfolded. It was like "and by the way, the kids had set a cicada alarm beforehand. Now watch it go off."

The worst for me were these stink bombs, which were never fully described in a book chock-full of very specific descriptions. They are described only as being made from things lying around the house that explode, but we are never told what they are made of or what they do. Flour in baggies? Solo cups of cereal? We will never know.

My kids absolutely loved this! It held their attention the entire time and they couldn’t wait to continue to read on.

What worked:
Liberty has a special love for animals with six or eight legs and she’ll do anything to save her father’s insect museum. She doesn’t mind being called Bug Girl although she’s learned not to advertise her unusual interest in school. She feels a bit alone this school year since her best friend moved to Florida although she video chats with Emmy every day at 5:00. Later, the most popular boy in school begins working for Liberty’s father but he’s keeping a secret from his parents. Liberty has full access to all areas of the museum as she helps to care for the insects, spiders, and lizards living among the various rooms and floors of the building. She has a special love for these creatures and she can’t imagine losing them.
Drama surrounds the museum’s survival as it’s still trying to recover from the deaths of valuable insects. Chapters count down the days remaining until the father meets with potential investors; later chapters count down to a possible robbery. Liberty gets an idea to begin a butterfly release program that should be sustainable and help raise money for the insectarium. However, she must pitch the concept to her father and await his approval or rejection. Emmy inadvertently hears voices one day and shares what she hears with Liberty. This moment transforms the plot into a mystery as the girls suspect something nefarious will occur. The police are skeptical of the girls’ story and it eventually becomes clear the girls will need to take matters into their own hands.
Bug lovers will enjoy this book as it’s packed full of buggy information. Liberty talks about different butterflies but focuses more on the pipevine swallowtails she’d like to use for her release program. The museum has a popular turtle named Franklin. A green iguana frightens Cam so Liberty shares facts about why Kermit is harmless. Stag beetles, pink katydids, and rare tarantulas are the most valuable exhibits in the museum. The plot builds to a climax where Liberty takes hints from defense mechanisms found in the bug kingdom. This is the part of the book where the characters are inspired by Kevin McCallister in the movie “Home Alone”.
What didn’t work as well:
Readers learn a little bit about the characters but there isn’t much depth to them. We hear about Liberty’s past issues with classmates but what’s happening now? It’s surprising when the epilogue takes place at her school, on the last day before summer break. Readers know Cam wants to explore his talents in art and readers, along with Liberty, are under the impression he’s being pressured by his parents to play sports. His decision later in the book would make more sense if readers had more information about Cam’s situation.
The final verdict:
Although many readers may not share Liberty’s interest in insects and small creatures, her passion for them is contagious. A mystery evolves as the date of the investor meeting gets closer and young readers will enjoy unlocking the clues along with the characters. The book will surely appeal to bug lovers but I recommend you give it a shot too!

I love finding books that I can hand to my students and know that they are going to enjoy reading.
This story is the perfect mix of struggle, friendship, and fun facts for my 5-6 class.
Thank you, NetGallery for the ARC. This one will definitely be added to my shelves!

The Bug Bandits was fantastic. Jenni L Walsh did her research in this based on a true bug heist! Young and old will love to read this story while learning quirky and fun bug knowledge along the way. Kids can identify with the main character as she navigates her way through concern for her father's incectorium and her own dream's survival when a bug heist threatens everything.

Looking forward to reading more young adult novels from Jenni Walsh!

Thank you to netgalley for my copy in exchange for an honest review!

Wonderfully fun children’s stopping a heist story. Lots of humour, a menagerie of animals, and entertaining kids as the main characters. As publicised Home-Alone meets A Night in the museum. Shortish, easy read book. Will keep all kids quietly entertained, except for their laughs. Thank you to Zonderkidz-Books and NetGalley for the ARC. The views expressed are all mine.

This was such a strong concept for a children’s fiction novel, it had that element that I was looking for and enjoyed about the description. The characters worked in this museum and enjoyed the heist element in this. Jenni L Walsh was able to create a strong story and hope there is more in this series.