Publisher’s Description

Will didn’t plan to eat a stinkbug. But when his friend Darryl called new kid Eloy Herrera a racial slur, Will did it as a diversion. Now Will is Bug Boy, and everyone is cracking up inventing insect meals for him, like French flies and maggot-aroni and fleas.

Turns out eating bugs for food is a real thing, called entomophagy. Deciding that means he can use a class project to feed everyone grasshoppers, Will bargains for Eloy’s help in exchange for helping him with wrestling, but their growing friendship only ticks off Darryl more.

Will may have bitten off more than he can chew as crickets, earthworm jerky–even a scorpion–end up on his plate, but insects are the least of his problems. When things with Darryl and Eloy heat up, Will wrestles with questions of loyalty, honor–and that maybe not all friendships are worth fighting for.

Rebecca Allen’s Thoughts

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 that 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!

Author Interview

Rebecca Petruck was kind enough to talk with us about Boy Bites Bug today. Welcome, Rebecca!

The description of Will Nolan eating a stink bug in the opening scene is so real, I have to ask what lengths you went to to achieve this level of accuracy!

None. 🙂

I couldn’t make myself put a live stink bug in my mouth and aggravate it to the point of spraying! Not to mention, eating live or unprepared insects is like eating uncooked beef or pork–not wise.

I do have a plethora of stink bugs inside the house who like to stroll along the top of my laptop and desktop screens. I smelled them but couldn’t tick them off enough to spray. In the end, I used Google and my imagination. 

Well, Rebecca, you google like a pro then!

How do you get into the heads of your middle grade characters?

By hanging out with them. I went to Minnesota to Triton Middle School, where Boy Bites Bug is set, and was a seventh grader for a day. I went to a wrestling practice and rode the bus to and from an all-day tournament with the team.

Importantly, I also reached out to four Latinx middle school students in Minnesota. I hired them to read an early draft of BUG and return notes. I was able to interview two of them, and several elements in the book are tributes to them. 

What was the hardest part of writing this book?

Finding the story. After reading about the UN report urging people to eat insects, I knew my next book would be about entomophagy (en-tuh-MOFF-ah-gee). But that’s only a subject, not even a situation. I wrote several very different drafts. The one I submitted to my editor expecting to be THE one, was returned. Ouch! Howard was right, though. I liked that version well enough, but it wasn’t love. Now it is!

At one point I made the mistake of picking up the book to read over a Saturday morning bagel. I feel like maybe there should be a warning on the cover: PORTIONS OF THIS BOOK COULD RUIN YOUR APPETITE! Did months spent writing about eating bugs affect your appetite? Did it change what you cooked for dinner?

Yes and no. I’m not a dedicated entomophagist–yet–partly because access to fresh insects in the US isn’t quite there yet. I have to order everything online. But I’m not leery of eating bugs, and I look forward to finding crickets, mealworms, and giant water bugs in my local grocery store one day.

Also, I eat less meat. Understanding the true cost to our planet of meat compared to that of insects, which are actually more nutritious in many ways, makes meat unappealing to me. There will always be a place for burgers, fried chicken, and pork chops! But from animals raised in a sustainable way, like by my friends at Harris-Robinette Beef, not in massive feed lots and the like. For more info about the benefits of insect protein, visit Entomo Farms–and order some tasty treats while you’re there!

Thanks for the tips on finding out more about the impact of what we eat and for being on Winged Pen today, Rebecca!

If YOU would like to ask Rebecca questions about her books, writing, and more, you may register for the SCBWI Carolinas FREE Ask Me Anything webinar tonight! April 10, 7:30 – 9:00 pm ET. The webinar will NOT be recorded, so you must tune in live–and you’ll get to see Rebecca eat bugs!

Boy Bites Bug has received a starred review from Booklist and been called, “A sure bet for reluctant readers!” by School Library Journal. The book will be released to your local bookstore on May 8th. You can check it out on Goodreads or pre-order from your local bookstore, Amazon,  Barnes & Noble or Indiebound.

You can find out more about Rebecca Petruck on her website: www.rebeccapetruck.com. On Twitter she’s @RebeccaPetruck.

I requested an advanced reader copy of Boy Bites Bug in exchange for an unbiased review.

Need more book suggestions? If Boy Bites Bug sounds good, you might also like other middle-grade books discussed on The Winged Pen:

Refugee by Alan Gratz
Karma Khullar’s Mustache by Kristi Wientge