The Bug Girl: A True Story

Real-life 7-year-old Sophia Spencer was bullied for loving bugs until hundreds of women scientists rallied around her. Now Sophie tells her inspiring story in this picture book that celebrates women in science, bugs of all kinds, and the importance of staying true to yourself. Makes a perfect gift for nature lovers on Earth Day and every day!

Sophia Spencer has loved bugs ever since a butterfly landed on her shoulder--and wouldn't leave!--at a butterfly conservancy when she was only two-and-a-half years old. In preschool and kindergarten, Sophia was thrilled to share what she knew about grasshoppers (her very favorite insects), as well as ants and fireflies... but by first grade, not everyone shared her enthusiasm. Some students bullied her, and Sophia stopped talking about bugs altogether.

When Sophia's mother wrote to an entomological society looking for a bug scientist to be a pen pal for her daughter, she and Sophie were overwhelmed by the enthusiastic response--letters, photos, and videos came flooding in. Using the hashtag BugsR4Girls, scientists tweeted hundreds of times to tell Sophia to keep up her interest in bugs--and it worked! Sophia has since appeared on Good Morning America, The Today Show, and NPR, and she continues to share her love of bugs with others.

Author: Sophia Spencer, Margaret McNamara
Publisher: Schwartz & Wade Books
Published: 02/11/2020
Pages: 44
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 1.25lbs
Size: 11.70h x 9.30w x 0.60d
ISBN: 9780525645931
Audience: Ages 4-8

Accelerated Reader:
Reading Level: 3.5
Point Value: 0.5
Interest Level: Lower Grade
Quiz #/Name: 508968 / Bug Girl: (A True Story)


Review Citation(s):
Booklist 12/01/2019 pg. 51
Kirkus Reviews 12/01/2019
Bulletin of Ctr for Child Bks 01/01/2020
School Library Journal 01/01/2020 pg. 95
Publishers Weekly 03/16/2020

About the Author
In addition to being passionate about bugs and all living creatures, Sophia Spencer loves climbing trees and exploring the world of math and science. She lives in Canada and is in the 4th grade. The MagicTree House series are currently her favorite books.

Margaret McNamara is the author of The Mr. Tiffin Classroom series including, The Dinosaur Expert, A Poem in Your Pocket, The Apple Orchard Riddle, and How Many Seeds in a Pumpkin?. She is also the author of Eliza, The Story of Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton called lovely, in a starred review from Booklist. Ms. McNamara lives in New York City. Visit her on the Web at margaretmcnamara.net.

Kerascoët, a husband-and-wife team, are the illustrators of the picture book, I Walk with Vanessa which received three starred reviews and was named The Best Picture Book of 2018 that Champions Kindness by Parents Magazine. They are also the illustrators of Malala's Magic Pencil by Malala Yousafzai which was highly acclaimed and a New York Times bestseller. Visit them at kerascoet.fr.