Darkus and his friends continue their unforgettable adventure in this final instalment of the Beetle trilogy. Arch-villainess Lucretia Cutter has a secret Biome hidden in the Amazon rainforest: can Darkus and his friends, human and beetle alike, find it before it's too late? If they can't stop Lucretia, she will release her hoard of giant Frankenstein beetles, and the planet will never be the same again ...
‘I loved Beetle Boy. It is at once engaging, creepy (bound to be), funny and full of excitement. Truly great storytelling.’ MICHAEL MORPURGO
‘I predict Beetle-mania.’ THE TIMES
‘It’s a cracking mystery adventure, with plenty of Roald Dahl-esque humour to engage readers.’ FIONA NOBLE, THE BOOKSELLER
‘[A] fast-paced, witty whodunnit … Full of Dahl-esque characters, funny plot twists and entomological details.’ BBC WILDLIFE MAGAZINE
‘An ingenious read.’ PRESS ASSOCIATION - CHILDREN’S BOOK OF THE WEEK
‘The comparisons with Dahl are well deserved. As well as being brilliantly written, Beetle Boy is poignant, original and has that sinister edge so many of Dahl’s greatest tales have.’ THE SUN ‘Her dialogue is dark and punchy and her plot thrilling: in the end you can do nothing but hail her as an original new voice in children’s literature.’ THE TIMES - CHILDREN’S BOOK OF THE WEEK
‘Roald Dahl meets 101 Dalmatians in a rollicking ride, full of adventure’ DAILY EXPRESS
‘. . . what really makes this book memorable is the supporting cast, researched in fascinating detail . . . The discovery that a seemingly powerless band of creatures can be possessed of such skill, beauty and strength should keep this gem on many a bedroom and library shelf for years to come.’ THE GUARDIAN
‘If you’ve always regarded beetles as something unpleasant to be chased away from picnics, then this romp of a mystery thriller may change your attitude . . . by the end young readers will have absorbed a huge amount of information on this resilient species.’ THE DAILY MAIL
‘Parents be warned: this enchanting story is likely to make beetles very popular pets.’ THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH
‘Like Roald Dahl’s capers, this story has an edge of desperation and darkness that makes its animal interactions and adventure all the more exciting.’ AMANDA CRAIG, NEW STATESMAN
‘Leonard’s exceptional debut is exciting and educational.’ MAIL ON SUNDAY
Author
About M. G. Leonard
M.G. Leonard has made up stories since she was a girl, but back then adults called them lies or tall tales and she didn't write them down.
As a grown up, her favourite things to create stories about are beetles, birds, and trains. Her books have been translated into over forty languages and won many awards. She is the vice president of the insect charity Buglife, and a founding author of Authors4Oceans.
She lives in Brighton with her husband, two sons, a fat cat called Kasper, a dog called Nell, and a variety of exotic beetles.
M.G. Leonard has a first-class honours degree in English Literature and an MA in Shakespeare Studies from Kings College London. She is the author of Beetle Boy and is still overcoming her fear of all things creepy crawly. She works in London as the Senior Digital Media Producer for the National Theatre, and previously worked at the Royal Opera House and Shakespeare’s Globe. Leonard spent her early career in the music industry running Setanta Records, an independent record label, and managing bands, most notably The Divine Comedy. After leaving the music industry, she trained as an actor, dabbling in directing and producing as well as performing, before deciding to write her stories down. Leonard lives in Brighton with her partner and two sons and her pet rainbow stag beetle.
