Curse of the Bizarro Beetle

Splurch Academy for Disruptive Boys #2

by Julie Berry, Sally Gardner

With CodyÕs archnemesis, Headmaster Farley, banished from the school, Cody should be celebrating . . . but something is bothering him, eating at him . . . literally gnawing on him. Dark forces are on the rise at Splurch Academy and Cody Mack isnÕt sure which side of the battle heÕs on.

Genres: Fantasy

208 pages, Paperback

First published August 12, 2010

Reviews

[Jill G.]

Pretty much ideal for reluctant readers--the half narrative/half comic format worked really well, I thought, better than other attempts at this style I've read before. And it's full of monsters and bugs and goofy boys, so, I mean, what's not to like? Fun. And gross. With the tiniest bit of Egyptian mythology mixed in. (Again, what's not to like?)

[Cheryl]

My boys and I loved this book. Several parts mades us laugh out loud. My dyslexic child loves to read these books. He announced he NEEDS the next book in the series.

[SPimpernel]

Great story and amazing illustrations make this a terrific buy for reluctant boy readers. All my 4 kids ages 6 to 13 enjoy it.

[Lynne]

Thank you so much for letting me win this free book from First Reads. Looking forward to reading it. Thank you.

[Dawn]

Yaaaayy!!! I just won this book and Im so excited to read it!! I have two younger boys ages 7 and 9 who cant wait to read it after me....thank you Julie Berry!! I will leave my review when done.

[Rebecca]

This was a little better than the first one. This absolutely bonkers situation of the academy is one you just have to completely suspend disbelief for and when you do, it works okay. You knew that Farley was clearly coming back but the way it happened was pretty humorous. I do find it weird that we barely get any reference to all of the other students at the academy, though.

[John Battcher]

i love this book!

[Monster]

In the second book in the Splurch Academy series, Cody's nemesis, Dr. Farley, has been banished from the school. However, that doesn't stop odd events taking place at Splurch Academy. Horrible bugs are crawling the halls of the Academy. Dr. Farley is no longer around, so who is behind these horrible creatures? At a school full of monsters as teachers, Cody doesn't know who he should trust. His parents don't believe him, so he must once again try hard to survive his "term" at Splurch Academy!
Curse of the Bizarro Beetle will do an outstanding job of grabbing the attention of even the most reluctant reader. The format of alternating short chapters with comic panels continues to engage and excite young readers. As the second book in the series, the reader learns more about the mysterious Dr. Farley and the other strange teachers at Splurch Academy. Revealing more information about the main characters at this pace will guarantee excitement and anticipation about the release of subsequent books in the series. Highly recommended.
Contains:
Reviewed by: Jennifer Lawrence

[Jennifer]

The entire series is perfect for elementary/middle grade boys (and girls). My reluctant reader (8yo boy) absolutely loved this entire series and begged for the next one and each of them came out. If you're looking for something fun for your younger crowd, this series is amazing! (My 5yo girl loved these, too!)

[Stacey]

Better than the first! 3 3/4 stars. If they keep getting cuter and better I may have to start giving them 5 stars despite my "life changing" policy.

Full review to come on the blog later this month!

[Julie]

I'm not immune to bias, but I love this book, too, inasmuch as I wrote it. My sister, Sally Gardner, is the fantabulous illustrator. This releases in August, and I can't wait!

[Heather]

The book is full of gross-out humor, so a lot of boys will probably love it.

[Jacquelyn]

Great story, and pesky boys. Great combo.

[Little Miss and the Legomeister]

"My favorite part was when they almost turned the gang of boy's leader into a vampire."

[I Trump]

My fifth grade students love these books.