The Big Swat (Ace Lacewing, Bug Detective Series)

by David Biedrzycki, David Biedrzycki (Illustrator)

Overview

Ace hits another one out of the ballpark.

Ace Lacewing, Bug Detective, is back in his third crime-solving adventure—and this time he’s in the big leagues. The Motham City Stinkbugs finally have a chance at winning the pennant, but somebody has stolen Bugsy Goldwing’s lucky bat. Was it Mickey Mantis, Fly Cobb, Derek Skeeter, or Big Hoppi Leafhopper? When Ace takes the mound, bad bugs are going to strike out.

Teeming with puns and sight gags, the latest Ace Lacewing mystery will have young readers turning the pages and looking for clues everywhere.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781570917479
Publisher:	Charlesbridge
Publication date:	07/01/2010
Series:	Ace Lacewing, Bug Detective
Pages:	44
Product dimensions:	10.10(w) x 10.20(h) x 0.50(d)
Lexile:	AD640L (what's this?)
Age Range:	5 - 8 Years

About the Author

David Biedrzycki has been creating illustrations for book publishers, advertising agencies, magazines, and design firms since 1980. His art has graced the cover of KidSoft magazine, New England Aquarium billboards and children's software packaging, such as "The Amazon Trail" and "Odell Down Under." He is the author/illustrator of the Ace Lacewing, Bug Detective series as well as ME AND MY DRAGON and ME AND MY DRAGON: SCARED OF HALLOWEEN. He also illustrated THE BEETLE ALPHABET BOOK and DORY STORY. David lives in Medfield, Massachusetts.

Read an Excerpt

My gal Xerces and I are big Stinkbug fans. We were counting the days to the play-offs when a gorgeous damselfly fluttered into my office.
            Her name was Madame Damselfly. She was a legend in Motham City: a no-nonsense lady with a heart of gold and a wicked curveball. Hundreds of hard-luck little bugs had grown up in her Li’l Larva Orphanage—and more than a few ended up in the
Bug Leagues. She’d known Bugsy ever since he was a little stinker.
            “Bugsy has a problem, detective,” said the damselfly.

Editorial Reviews

Gr 2—This adventure takes the buggy private investigator into the world of baseball. Bugsy Goldwing, the star rookie player for the Stinkbugs, Motham City's home team, has his lucky bat stolen right before a big game, and Ace is hired to find it. The trail takes him to ballparks and locker rooms throughout the league. The complicated story unravels slowly and reveals the thief to be Bugsy's competition for the MVP award. The bat is found cracked. But Bugsy realizes that it's not the bat; it's his ability and he knocks the ball out of the park. The case is solved. The Photoshop-produced illustrations are crisp and colorful, although in rather flat hues. The story has a noir feel to it, as the detectives all wear trench coats and talk tough. The lengthy text is laden with insect jokes, puns, and bug names and the plot is rather convoluted. Nonetheless, fans of the previous two Ace Lacewing titles will enjoy this one.—Ieva Bates, Ann Arbor District Library, MI

School Library Journal