The Fire Bug Connection: An Ecological Mystery

Ecological Mysteries #3

by Jean Craighead George

Maggie receives European fire bugs for her birthday, but when they fail to metamorphose and grow grossly large and explode instead, she uses scientific reasoning to determine the cause of their strange death

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Young Adult, Childrens

148 pages, Hardcover

First published May 1, 1993

About the author

Jean Craighead George wrote over eighty popular books for young adults, including the Newbery Medal-winning Julie of the Wolves and the Newbery Honor book My Side of the Mountain. Most of her books deal with topics related to the environment and the natural world. While she mostly wrote children's fiction, she also wrote at least two guides to cooking with wild foods, and an autobiography, Journey Inward.

The mother of three children, (Twig C. George, Craig, and T. Luke George) Jean George was a grandmother who joyfully read to her grandchildren since the time they were born. Over the years Jean George kept one hundred and seventy-three pets, not including dogs and cats, in her home in Chappaqua, New York. "Most of these wild animals depart in autumn when the sun changes their behaviour and they feel the urge to migrate or go off alone. While they are with us, however, they become characters in my books, articles, and stories."

Reviews

[Jonah · Rating 2 out of 5]

not great

[elstaffe · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 rounds up to 4 stars. A mix of things that didn't age well because of safety concerns (handling bats) and things that did (ecological mystery solving!).

[Michael Okuno · Rating 4 out of 5]

the fire bug connection is an exiting book an amazing mystery about a girls birthday.

[Claire · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is OK, atleast I didn't fall asleep reading it.

[Lorrie · Rating 1 out of 5]

No one in the 5th grade book club I was working with liked this book. Too many details and hype. Not enough actually happening.