The Turtle Invasion

Max receives an urgent message. The Battle Bugs need his help. An old enemy has returned and this time the enemy has vowed to destroy every bug. An epic fight is about to begin, and only Max can save the day.

For those who have read the previous Battle Bug books, the appearance of General Komodo brings suspense. The Turtle Invasion brings the gecko and bullet ants into focus and readers will learn interesting facts about each species. The bug (and human) characters are not developed as well as they were in the previous books; however, seeing a human through a bug’s eye gives the story interest. The fighting between lizards and bugs adds suspense with kid-friendly descriptions.

The plot of The Turtle Invasion has the same structure as previous books. The bugs need help. Max appears. Max is almost eaten by a creature. Max survives and is the only one who can save the Battle Bugs. Although younger readers might not mind the repetitious plot, some may find the story less enjoyable.

Readers should read earlier books in the Battle Bugs series because many of the characters were developed in previous books. Even though The Turtle Invasion has some longer, descriptive paragraphs, the text is easy to read. Dialogue, Max’s thoughts, onomatopoeia, and full-page illustrations help keep readers engaged.

Sexual Content

• None

Violence

• When Max arrives on bug island, a gecko wants to eat him. Max, “head-butted the gecko right on its nose. The gecko squealed and clutched its face. With one last surge of energy, Max flung the lizard away from him.”
• General Komodo leaps onto Max. “Max let out a yell as Komodo’s claws grabbed hold of him and he went tumbling to the ground.” Later Komodo chases Max up a tree. Komodo is able to break the tree branch Max is on. “The impact knocked the wind out of him (Max). He lay on his back, fighting for breath.” Max is then taken to prison.
• When Max escapes from prison, a gecko grabs him. “The gecko shoved Max down against the ground. Max twisted in pain. . .” Bullet ants appear and swarm the gecko, and “then the stinging began. The gecko yelped in pain, let go of Max, and went hobbling off toward the beach.”
• The two armies fight. During the battle, “hornets zoomed down from the sky, struck with a barrage of stings, and then soared out of range of reptile jaws.” The bugs end up victorious.

Drugs and Alcohol

• None

Language

• None

Supernatural

• Max has a magic book that takes him to Bug Island. When he looks at the book through a magnifying glass, “a familiar force snatched him off his feet. The room around him seemed to swell and swirl. He went tumbling down into the book.” When he lands on Bug Island, he is the size of a bug.

Spiritual Content

• None