MMGM- The Bug Bandits and Lonely Planet Kid's Guides to Paris and New York City

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Unleashing Readers

Walsh, Jenni L. The Bug Bandits
May 6, 2025 by Zonderkidz
E ARC Provided by Edelweiss Plus

It's always been just Liberty Jacobs and her dad running the Walnut Street Insectarium in Philadelphia after the death of her mother when she was very young, but they do get help from Grams, who lives nearby, and Dr. Rosie Rossetti, her dad's business partner. There's also Mary Sue, who runs the gift shop and keeps an eye on Emmy, since the family apartment is on the fourth floor of the museum. Emmy is worried about the financial health of the museum, and her dad has an appointment with bankers in a week to try to get some funding. She also misses her friend, Emmy, who has moved to Florida, although the pair video chat every day. Liberty wants to propose a new program to her father which she hopes will bring in some revenue so that she can travel to see her best friend. She wants to deliver pipeline swallowtail eggs to people, give them a talk about the butterflies, and help them hatch the eggs... all for $49.99. Her father is trying to spiff up the museum a bit, and brings in her classmate Cam Jones to refresh some of Emmy's paintings that decorate the walls of the museum. Liberty (or Libs) is a little leery, since Cam is a track star and very popular, while she is often referred to as "bug girl" and doesn't have many friends. The two hit it off, however, and are able to band together when Emmy overhears (via the phone) to men talking about Thursday and things bringing "a pretty price". "Buglary" is a real problem, and after a scourge of recent insect deaths, Libs knows the museum can't afford to lose any more creatures. She confides in her father, the police are called, and they do take things seriously, posting a guard. But when there is no activity, they call off surveillance. Libs is sure that it will happen, so she and Cam find a way to stay in the museum when her father is out of town, and study the ways the insects repel predators in order to boobytrap the museum, ala the 1990 film, Home Alone. They do a good job, but there are some false starts. Will they be able to save the museum from closing, even if the theft might be an inside job?
Strengths: I love that Liberty gets along with her father and Grams, and is super passionate about her family's museum, even coming up with new and interesting ways to spread the word about the collection and to raise money. Having Cam come to do volunteer work in the museum was a great way to introduce a side kick, and having Emmy on the phone is probably all too realistic for friends who are separated. I don't want to ruin the mystery and reveal the culprit, but it made sense, and I only have the slightest inkling early in the book. I also really appreciated that the father believed Liberty, as did the police. This makes the situation even more serious. The description of the museum, with the location of all of the different collections, was very interesting, and there's plenty of good STEM inclusion about insects. This is a departure from Walsh's historical novels I am Defiance (2021), (Over and Out (2022), and Operation Happy (2024), but is a fun, action packed mystery. 

Weaknesses: I'm trying to look more kindly at the inclusion of dead parents in middle grade literature after a Bluesky conversation with Kate Messner, but there really was  no reason for the mother not to be in the picture. Not entirely sure that today's children know about Home Alone, but maybe this will encourage them to look it up. I've never seen the movie, and it did not impact my enjoyment of the book. 
What I really think: Well, I just want to go live on the top floor of the Corning Museum in New York or perhaps the Victoria and Albert Museum now! A building with collections of amazing things is a great setting for a middle grade novel, and this will be popular with readers who have enjoyed museum-centered mysteries like Averling's The Curse of Eelgrass Bog, Durst's Spy Ring, or Hosch's Mabel Opal Pear and the Rules for Spying, Landis' Capitol Chase, Leali's The Civil War of Amos Abernathy, Noel's Cats of the Silver Crescent, Parks' Summer of Brave, Ponti's Framed, Savaryn's The Night Train, Wells' Eddie Red: Mystery on Museum Mile. 

Lonely Planet. Lonely Planet Kids A Kid's Guide to Paris
May 20, 2025 by Lonely Planet
Copy provided by the publisher

Traveling to the City of Lights, or just dreaming about it? This Kid's Guide offers an awesome, photoillustrated guide to all of the sights, sounds, and food you might want to experience, and offers tips for ones you may not even know about!

Getting around cities of the world can be the biggest challenge, so I loved how this started with a guide to walking, busing, taking the train, and even traveling by water. There are good details about the Metro, and the pictures will help young children who have not seen an undergroung get used to the idea. Seeing the sites from up high is possible from many locations in Paris, not just the Eiffel Tower, and it's helpful that there is a map to get people started in the right direction. Other chapters include information on places to play, monuments to see, and secrets of the city.

Even though Paris is a bustling urban area, there are plenty of parks and green spaces to visit in order to get away from the noise and congestion. I love that there are even descriptions of some of the animals that might be found in some of the more natural nooks in the city.

It's even more thrilling to step into a city that one has thought and dreamt about, and to see in real life the attractions that one has visited again and again in pictures. A Kid's Guide to Paris is really the only guide kids would need, but would be great in conjunction with the regular Lonely Planet Guide to Paris for parents, as well as A Walk in Paris by Rubbino, The Little Bookroom Guide to Paris with Children by Levesque, and Let's Go To Paris: Kids Activity Book and Travel Guide  by Moss and Moss, for those of us old enough to remember when Let's Go was an indispensable resource for backpacking around Europe.

Lonely Planet. Lonely Planet Kids A Kid's Guide to New York City
May 20, 2025 by Lonely Planet
Copy provided by the publisher

I don't often think of needing a travel guide within the continental US, but New York City has so many things to do and see that it's really a necessity. It's also a doable location if you live on the East Coast or the Midwest; I think it's about an eight hour drive from where I live. The maps at the beginning of the book are very helpful for navigating the different areas, but the information about public transportation is also important- I managed to drive through Queens on my way to Newport, Rhode Island, and I would not want to have to drive to see different places if I could help it! 

The international aspect of the city is definitely brought to light, not only in the plethora of restaurants with different cuisines, but in the historical background of Ellis Island, the different neighborhoods, and the cultural exhibits. It was also nice that there was a mention of the indigenous settlements that were displaced by the Europeans. 

Like other books in this series, there is good coverage of museums, monuments, places to play, sports, and even offbeat offerings, like a fancy public restroom at Bryant Park. Central Park is explored, as are some of the animals and natural elements that can be found around the city. The photographs are excellent, and the wide range of locations included gives a great overview to this bustling city. 

Reader who were entranced by the fictional No, Nancy, No! A Dog Chase in New York by Tait will enjoy this look at the city Nancy takes by storm. Families planning to visit the city will want to have this as a resource for planning excursions along with Beckman and Mauer's Little Kid, Big City: New York, Woodson's Kids Travel Guide to New York City, and Mills' Hey Kids! Let's Visit New York City. For extra fun on the car ride, make sure to grab a copy of National Geographic's Weird But True: New York City.