Book Review: Cockroach Invasion by Sherry L. Meinberg

Title: Cockroach Invasion
Author: Dr. Sherry L. Meinberg
Publisher: Archway
Date of Publication: June 30 2014
Age Range: 8 and up
Genre: fiction, educational, children's literature 


Synopsis:

Cockroach catastrophe! The third graders are in for an exciting and scary experience, as cockroaches take over their classroom. How will they act? What will they do? What would you do? What will they discover about cockroaches?
Nobody loves a cockroach! They make nasty houseguests; the ick factor is very high. But most cockroaches live outdoors and never come in contact with humans. The Cockroach Invasion challenges our assumptions and raises awareness about cockroaches and the role they play in our ecosystem. It expands readers' minds and stimulates their imaginations, while contributing to the appreciation of biodiversity. It teaches readers to think twice about underloved yet necessary creatures.
The Cockroach Invasion entertains and informs. It is a delightful read for all ages, stunning in its underlying messages: self-reliance, open-mindedness, and respect for all creatures with which we share our world. No matter how you feel about cockroaches, you are guaranteed to find them fascinating!

My Thoughts: 

Cockroach Invasion was a fun and interesting read that had all of my boys saying "Ewww!" a few times throughout the book.  There was comedy, lots of learning, and really great illustrations that helped make the Invasion that more fun!
Cockroach Invasion is about an elementary school that gets overtaken by cockroaches; the bugs are coming in through the sink in the kids' bathrooms.   Instead of looking at the obvious negative aspects, the teachers decide to use this situation as a learning tool and the kids embark on a journey to learn everything they can about cockroaches.  I think this fact alone is what made me love Cockroach Invasion even more because it teaches children to always try to look at the bright side of things.  What a great advice for us all!
Through this book we learned more about cockroaches than I ever thought I would.  Using the KWL chart, the boys and I were able to discover these insects' habitats, the different kinds, their needs, and even their origins.  (The KWL chart is three sections labeled : Know; Want to know; and Learn. Students then proceed to fill out in the appropriate columns.  This chart is a wonderful tool to get your kids writing as well as learning.)
As well as learning facts about the different cockroaches, we get to see some very entertaining illustrations that I believe were created from the students in the author's classrooms.  That was very exciting for the boys to see kids there own age getting their artwork in a published book!

Cockroach Invasion is a great way to get your kids reading with the help of an unlikely character: the Cockroach! And who knows, you just might enjoy the creepy crawly side to learning too!

* I received this book in exchange for my honest opinion of it.  Everything I have expressed has come from my own mind and are my own opinions.  
**We used this book as a study guide learning about cockroaches for homeschool.

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