ARC Review: Middle Grade Mystery

The Bug Bandits by Jenni L. Walsh

Publication Date: May 6, 2025

Summary from NetGalley:

Home Alone meets A Night in the Museum in this clever middle-grade heist story by USA Today bestselling author Jenni L. Walsh. When a science-loving girl and her friends overhear a plot to rob her dad’s insectarium, they embark on a mission to stop the burglary of the museum’s rarest insects. Inspired by true events, this STEM-based adventure is perfect for fans of hijinks and mysteries.

Without a mom and with her dad busy running the museum, Liberty Jacobs was practically raised by the tarantulas, leopard geckos, and rare butterflies of the Walnut Street Insectarium. She loves being the resident “Bug Girl,” but unless Liberty and her dad can snag a big investor, they’ll lose the museum, their home, and the funding Liberty needs to launch her dream business: a butterfly release program called Life & Liberty.

The investor meeting is a week away, but there’s a big problem: Liberty has reason to suspect there’s going to be a “buglary” of the museum’s rarest animals. But the police don’t believe her, and with Dad out of town for an insect convention, it’s up to Liberty and her friends (and her vast knowledge of bug defense mechanisms) to thwart the thieves and save the museum.

ARC provided by Zonderkidz Books via Netgalley for an honest review.

Confession:

This was a fun and exciting middle grade novel featuring a delightful young entomologist and her new friend foiling some burglars intent on stealing some expensive bugs. I really enjoyed this science centered story and I think kids will find it delightful as well.

Liberty is a very sweet young girl who lives with her father above their bug museum. She is very into bugs and insects, but especially butterflies. Liberty’s best friend has recently moved away and she is feeling a little lonely, as she thinks the other kids at school don’t like her because of her interest in bugs. But then Cam, a popular boy from her school, starts to work at the museum and things start to change for Liberty. I really liked how their friendship blossomed and how cool Cam thought her life was. They grew to be very supportive of each other which was really nice to see. I also like how even though they were living far apart Liberty and her best friend Emmy keep in touch and continue to maintain their friendship. Emmy actually becomes very important to the capture of the burglars.

Liberty has a great relationship with her dad and the other adults who work at the museum. This was really nice to see, as so often in middle grade books you have cruel or evil adults out to get the kids. Or parents who are overbearing or indifferent to their kids. It was just nice to see a group of adults who enjoy kids and are so supportive of them, even when they are doing something a bit on the dangerous side.

I really enjoyed the science aspect of this story. Many facts about insects are woven seamlessly into the story. I also appreciated that when Cam and Liberty were looking at the movie Home Alone for inspiration about how to thwart the burglars, it was emphasized how deadly the pranks in the movie were. I also really enjoyed how the pranks that Liberty and Cam come up with are based on insect defenses and camouflage. This aspect of the story was nicely done and felt realistic as well.

This is a nicely done middle grade adventure with a great cast of characters. It will be one that any budding young scientist will enjoy, especially anyone interested in bugs and insects.