Battle of the Beetles

M. G. Leonard's Battle of the Beetles is a big, gripping adventure for 10 year olds about three friends setting off to stop a villain with a beetle army.

What happens

This one is not the place to start. It picks up with the story in full swing and everything already in motion. If your reader hasn't met Darkus, Virginia and Bertolt yet, the story begins in Beetle Boy.

Lucretia Cutter, the fashion designer who has made herself part beetle, has declared war on the world. Her beetles are eating crops across the globe. The newspapers are screaming BEETLE PLAGUE. And they're blaming Darkus's dad, who has gone off with her, pretending to be on her side so he can stop her from the inside.

That's a lot for a boy to carry. A bully throws a stone through the window and cuts Darkus's cheek. The police are knocking on the door. And nobody can know the truth.

So the friends and Uncle Max make a plan. They know where Lucretia's secret Biome is hidden, high on a mountain in the rainforest of Ecuador. First a scientists' congress in Prague, then the jungle. And the beetles are coming too (Bertolt has twenty-seven fireflies sewn into the lining of his blazer for the airport!).

Some chapters leave the children in London and follow Darkus's dad instead. He's being flown south with a hood over his head, quietly memorising every clue he can. It gives the whole thing a proper thriller feel.

The beetles themselves are the best bit, as always. Baxter the rhinoceros beetle rides on Darkus's shoulder and understands him better than anyone. Marvin the cherry-red leaf beetle dangles from one of Virginia's braids eating banana jelly. Who wouldn't want a beetle lookout squad?

There's a serious side here too. The three friends have a real argument about whether they'd ever be able to kill Lucretia if they had to. Virginia doesn't think she could. Darkus thinks he might, if his dad were in danger. It's handled thoughtfully, but it's a big question for this series.

The friendship is lovely to watch. Virginia is fierce and blunt, Bertolt is anxious and kind, and they squabble and make up like proper friends. Any reader who loves creepy-crawlies, big journeys and a good villain will be hooked.

What to read next

If they're after more creatures and courage in the meantime, try M. G. Leonard's Twitch. A boy who knows his birds stands up to a gang of bullies to save a pigeon.