Infestation

Nonfiction writer/illustrator Bradley (Paleo Bugs: Survival of the Creepiest) brings a love of science fiction and insects to this hyperbolic adventure, a callback to the monster films of the 1950s, in which juvenile delinquents fight for their lives against giant mutated ants. Twelve-year-old Andy Greenwood has just settled into life at the Reclamation School for Boys in the New Mexico desert when he learns that it used to be a secret testing facility, still full of forgotten chemicals. An earthquake allows hundreds of oversize insects to overrun the school, with Andy part of a small group of survivors. With the help of a visiting entomologist, they launch an explosive campaign against the ants in order to escape. Bradley wastes no time in throwing his characters into the action, nor does he sugarcoat the consequences. The pseudoscience needed to bring his monsters to life and combat them has verisimilitude without bogging down in details. Some plot points and characters are swept to the side in the need to deliver a streamlined story, but the excitement never falters. Ages 8-12. Agent: East West Literary Agency. (Apr.)

Gr 5-8--When Andy Greenwood, 12, is caught stealing and wrecking his foster father's motorcycle, he gets sent to the Reclamation School for Boys in New Mexico for three months. He soon learns that the corrupt headmaster/warden is bribing officials to keep the boys at the institution longer than their original sentences. Aggressive ants keep leaving welts all over the school's population, and no bug spray will kill them. To top it all off, the annoying angry ants grow to the size of humans during an earthquake. The only thing that helps is small vials with explosive substances called sodium and cesium. Where did these giant monsters come from? With almost everyone dead, can Andy and the few other survivors destroy the ants and escape before they get eaten? The chapters end spectacularly with lots of cliff-hangers, and the characters are likable and fairly well-developed. The inclusion of facts about ants and insect mutation complements the story. The author's fast-paced, action-driven writing style is sure to entertain and delight reluctant and avid readers. Fans of horror, adventure, bugs, and mystery will enjoy this funny, harrowing tale.--Kira Moody, Whitmore Public Library, Salt Lake City, UT