Bee & Flea and the Compost Caper (Bee and Flea #1)

by Anna Humphrey (Author) Mike Deas (Illustrator)

Bee & Flea and the Compost Caper (Bee and Flea #1)
Reading Level: 2nd − 3rd Grade
Series: Bee and Flea

Unlikely bug buddies bring the science of compost heaps to life.

Bee is spending another beautiful, boring day pollinating flowers in the backyard when a visitor named Flea gallops onto the scene on a dog’s back. Flea is the one and only agent of the Fenced-in-Area Law Enforcement Agency (the F.L.E.A. for short) and she’s heard about trouble in the compost heap: it’s erupted into a wild frenzy, and Flea needs to investigate. Enlisting Bee in the investigation, the pair flies off to the scene of the crime, where they discover compost critters dancing, slime surfing, and playing games of dodge-poo. But is there more to this compost chaos than meets the eye?

This hilarious hop through the compost heap is the first book in a primary chapter book series featuring Bee and Flea. Lively black and white illustrations bring the crime-fighting team to life, while stealthy, accessible STEM content introduces readers to the tiniest composting creatures and how they make backyards bloom.

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School Library Journal

Gr 1-4--Backyard Bee is minding her own business pollinating flowers when Flea, the one and only agent in the Fenced-in-Area Law Enforcement Agency (F.L.E.A.), bursts into her world and enlists her help. There's chaos in the compost heap, and somebody needs to do something about it! When the pair arrives on the scene, Bee can't understand the emergency--until she puts on the magical glasses Flea has provided her in the F.L.E.A. tool tote. It's then that Bee sees a teeming mass of activity taking place in the microscopic world: pincered critters wrestling in muck, worms stuffing their cheeks with bacteria, and even a group of mites hurling poop at each other. Bee and Flea need to figure out what's going on and restore order. Or, do they? What follows is a STEM-tastic exploration of the composting process and the little-known creatures that make it possible. While advanced vocabulary and literary devices may place this book beyond the comprehension of many in the intended age group, the scientific content presented with regard to composting is very accessible and is even bolstered by factual back matter presented in a fun quiz format. VERDICT This book is an excellent fit for young readers capable of tearing through books far above their emotional maturity. Purchase for collections needing new series for precocious readers.--Jennifer Noonan

Copyright 2022 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Review quotes

"A STEM-tastic exploration of the composting process and the little-known creatures that make it possible."— "School Library Journal"
Classification
Fiction
ISBN-13
9781771474207
Lexile Measure
540
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Owlkids
Publication date
April 15, 2022
Series
Bee and Flea
BISAC categories
JUV019000 - Juvenile Fiction | Humorous Stories
JUV002140 - Juvenile Fiction | Animals | Insects, Spiders, etc.
JUV028000 - Juvenile Fiction | Mysteries, Espionage, & Detective Stories
JUV063000 - Juvenile Fiction | Recycling & Green Living
Library of Congress categories
Recycling (Waste)
Fleas
Bees
Recycling (Waste, etc.)

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