Guest Post by M . G. Leonard - Why Beetles? (Beetle Boy)

Why Beetles? 

I spent my young life frightened of creepy-crawlies. My fear has ruined countless picnics, barbeques and showers. And then one day, after getting two degrees and feeling pretty confident in my own cleverness, I was stunned to discovered that I didn’t know what a beetle was. 


I didn’t know that beetles fly, pollinate more plants than bees, control disease, fertilize the soil and are the most essential creature to the health of our planet.

When I discovered that beetles breathe through tiny holes in their exoskeleton called spiracles, I wondered if, on a subconscious level, my fear was routed in the illusion that these creatures appear not to respire? They appear to be dead, then shock the hell out of you by moving. Your brain screams WALKING DEAD! ZOMBIE! And before there’s time to process the information you’re running away, or, if you’re feeling brave, imprisoning the poor unthreatening invertebrate in a glass whilst your heart is hammering in your chest.

I can’t overstate the impact of these revelations. How could I be an educated grown-up and not know what a beetle is? My fear of insects had prevented me from ever looking at them properly, and in turn my ignorance had fueled my fear. I wondered if I could have avoided twenty years of the screaming heebie-jeebies dance if I’d learned more about insects when I was young?

My life has been guided and informed by stories. It is a form of information sharing that has a sustained impact on me. I find it hard to retain facts on their own, but put them in a story and I’ll remember them for the rest of my life. So, I looked to see if there were any good stories about insects, which showed them in an appealing light. Actually, invertebrates get a pretty bad press in fiction and in film. Remember the creepy-crawly scene from Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, or the flesh-eating scarabs in The Mummy? The only stories I could find that embraced mini-beasts were Charlottes Web and James and the Giant Peach. 


I wanted Beetle Boy to exist, but the only way that was going to happen was if I wrote it myself. 


We experience the pendulum swing between biophilia and biophobia acutely when we watch a David Attenborough show, but it is there in our everyday lives. I embraced it, and as I did the research for Beetle Boy, I found my fascination with the natural world grew, and my fear reduced.

My fear has now reduced to the degree that a week ago I went to The Bug Farm in Pembrokeshire and let flower beetles crawl up my arm. It was wonderful. So wonderful that I have purchased a pair of rainbow stag beetles, and am eagerly awaiting the arrival of our new family pets. My boys are beside themselves with excitement. No other kids at school have pet beetles.

I won’t pretend I’m not proud of Beetle Boy. I am. This crazy adventure story about a boy and a beetle has changed my life. But I don’t feel the success of the book, which has so far been a bestseller in two countries and is being translated into twenty-seven languages, is down to any cleverness on my part. I feel like the story was waiting for me, under a rock, till I was brave enough to pick it up and confront my fear and ignorance.

‘Bug me! This is as good as it gets! This book will have you scuttling with joy! Beetlelicious, fantastic fun for everyone. I was crawling with joy from every page that I read. Gross, funny and heart warming - a flapping great read, this book has imagination with wings.’ MR RIPLEY’S ENCHANTED BOOKS for more Beetle goodness check out the authors website: http://www.mgleonard.com 
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M. G. Leonard - Beetle Boy (The Battle of the Beetles) Book Review

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Chicken House Ltd (3 Mar. 2016)
• ISBN-10: 1910002704
• Age: 9+

Darkus is miserable. His dad has disappeared, and now he is living next door to the most disgusting neighbours ever. A giant beetle called Baxter comes to his rescue. But can the two solve the mystery of his dad's disappearance, especially when links emerge to cruel Lucretia Cutter and her penchant for beetle jewellery? A coffee-mug mountain, home to a million insects, could provide the answer. 

Darkus and Baxter are brave enough to find it.

The diversity of beetles is very wide; they are found in all major habitats and this one can be picked up from all good bookshops from March 2016. I know this is an early book review, but when a book is this good it's so hard to keep quiet about it. It is such a flapping great read that it left me feeling flighty just even thinking about it. This book is already destined to be one of the greatest middle grade children's reads of this year.

You may have seen the book cover before, as it was a recent winner of "Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books" annual book cover wars for 2015/2016, and has been fantastically illustrated by Julia Sardia. The finished copy has been lovingly embellished inside with small black and white illustrations which adds a really nice touch to the story inside. The paper edges are very eye catching with images of small beetles; no expense has been spared as this is very rarely used in production. I would like to congratulate Chicken House on a great production of the overall book; it makes it a book to pick up and cherish. 

Beetle Boy is the first book in the trilogy written by M.G. Leonard, who works in London as the senior digital producer for the National Theatre. Her fondness for coleoptera has transpired into a fantastic family read that will have you feeding on the nectar of some great fantasy moments. From the first page you are richly transported into a Dahl-esque adventure that will have you addicted with every

page that you turn.

The story is deeply heartfelt, but has a clear mystery to solve involving a cornucopia of bugs. With a cast full of lovable and relatable characters, who are all up against the evil Lucretia Cutter (mad scientist/bug exterminator), the plot will have you hooked. Her eccentric character and gross shenanigans are all entertaining and delicious thrilling to read. 

You start out on a brilliant adventure with the characters, but in a heartbeat you find yourself visiting Furniture Forest hiding behind a wardrobe with Darkus and the gang. Then the next minute you are scuttling to Beetle Mountain in search of Humphrey and Pickering spying on their mad thieving scheming plans. It's all delivered in a Disney-like cinematic world, which will be loved by all ages and genders. 

The narrative explores aspects such as family and friendship by following the children's bold and gross plans. No stone is left unturned and no beetles are harmed when faced with the wings of one's imagination. You will laugh and cry as you are strapped in this rollercoaster of an adventure. The science-fiction twist will have you buzzing with delight right until the last page is turned and will leave you wanting more. This is one of the best debut reads that I have read in a very long time. Imagination with wings, fantastic.