Bugs in Danger: Our Vanishing Bees, Butterflies, and Beetles

by Mark Kurlansky, Jia Liu (Illustrator)

Overview

By now you've probably heard that bees are disappearing--but they aren't the only species at risk. Populations of fireflies, butterflies, and ladybugs have all been declining in recent years, too. This middle grade nonfiction explains the growth, spread, and recent declines of each of these four types of insects. Exploring human causes, like the Baltimore electric company that collected fireflies to attempt to harness their phosphorescent lighting source, to natural occurrences, like the mysterious colony collapse disorder that plagues bee populations, master nonfiction storyteller Mark Kurlansky shows just how much bugs matter to our world.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781547603404
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Publishing
Publication date:	11/12/2019
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	208
Lexile:	1060L (what's this?)
File size:	14 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	9 - 12 Years

About the Author

Mark Kurlansky is the New York Times bestselling author of more than 30 books, including A World Without Fish for young readers and Milk, Salt, and Cod for adults. He has received the Dayton Literary Peace Prize, Bon Appetit's Food Writer of the Year Award, the James Beard Award, and the Glenfiddich Award. He lives in New York City. www.markkurlansky.com
Mark Kurlansky is the New York Times bestselling author of Milk!, Havana, Paper, The Big Oyster, 1968, Salt, The Basque History of the World, Cod, and Salmon, among other titles. He has received the Dayton Literary Peace Prize, Bon Appétit's Food Writer of the Year Award, the James Beard Award, and the Glenfiddich Award. He lives in New York City. www.markkurlansky.com

Hometown:

New York, NY

Date of Birth:

December 7, 1948

Place of Birth:

Hartford, CT

Education:

Butler University, B.A. in Theater, 1970

Editorial Reviews

In his histories of cod and oysters, Mark Kurlansky described how those species once thrived in the wild, and how they were depleted. [World Without Fish] casts an even wider net and...creates a compelling narrative for young people.” —The New York Times

“Urgent” —Publishers Weekly

“An important and timely resource full of fascinating facts.” —Booklist

“Accessible, informational, and often humorous.” —Kirkus Reviews

“Fascinating title.” —School Library Connection

“An informative discussion of evolutionary biology and ecology” —Horn Book Magazine

From the Publisher

2019-08-12
"The disappearance of a few prominent insects could lead to the complete unraveling of life on Earth."

This is only one of the dire warnings that punctuate several chapters in a text that is accessible, informational, and often humorous. Using Darwin's theories and the assumption that every species must prioritize its own promulgation or perish, the author suggests, among other things, that humans may have created their own decline by emphasizing individual life choices over species survival. He emphasizes biodiversity as the key to preserving life as we know it, employing the historical decline of ladybugs, bees, butterflies, and fireflies to fuel that argument. The text—original for young readers and not adapted from a book for adults—has fascinating details, both historical and biological, but sometimes omits expected depth. After pages devoted to monarchs, it does not mention the fact that the migration spans generations. After a lengthy discussion of colony collapse disorder, only one paragraph mentions the fact that, apparently, no organic beekeepers have experienced it. Another example is the lackluster list in the "What Can I Do?" chapter, which does not match the urgency of sentences such as the one quoted above. Indeed, the first idea on the list is a condescending plea not to stomp on insects. As an entomological reference book or to start conversations about biodiversity or climate change, the book is solid; it is not advisable as a single source. Happily, there is an extensive bibliography.

A conversation starter. (endnotes, bibliography, index) (Nonfiction. 10-14)

Kirkus Reviews