Cockroach Cooties - Hardcover

Yep, Laurence

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0786804874 ISBN 13: 9780786804870

Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2000

Synopsis

Teddy and his little brother Bobby devise strategies using bugs to defeat the school bully.

About this title

Reviews

Grade 3-4-Set in the Chinatown section of San Francisco, this modern-day tale is about two brothers, eight and nine, previously featured in Later, Gator (Hyperion, 1995). Teddy, the older child, narrates. Bobby feels responsible for getting Teddy involved with a treacherous bully at school, so he devises a plan to scare the fiend with a cockroach that he obtains from "The Bug Lady," a neighbor studying entomology. The plan is effective until the roach meets with an unfortunate end, but Bobby has a new secret plan that brings Arnie to his knees. Eventually, they realize that his tough attitude is a result of uncaring parents and a difficult home life, and a tentative friendship is formed. Pair this funny, action-packed story with Elizabeth Winthrop's Luke's Bully (Viking, 1990; o.p.). Readers will either be instantly attracted to Cockroach Cooties or completely repelled by it, but those who can stomach the idea of crushed crickets in their chocolate-chip cookies will eat it up.
Elizabeth Maggio, Palos Verdes Library District, Rolling Hills Estates, CA
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

"There are two kinds of people in this world--the bullies and the victims," Teddy tells his younger brother, Bobby; the two have just incurred the wrath of their schoolmate Arnie, better known as Arnie-zilla. "Guess which bunch we belong to?" However, the boys inadvertently discover that the bully is afraid of cockroaches, and the tables turn. Bobby promptly adopts a critter, which he names Hercules, and introduces Teddy to their eccentric neighbor, the Bug Lady, with whom Bobby has long shared a passion for all things creepy-crawly. Brains win out over brawn as Bobby uses cookies with a mystery ingredient to trick Arnie into a peace treaty--and compassion wins out over vengeance, as the brothers discover that Arnie is more to be pitied than feared. Full of the sights and sounds of San Francisco's Chinatown, the tale zips along at a brisk pace, percolating with snappy dialogue. A seasoned craftsman, Yep (Dragonwings; The Imp Who Ate My Homework) effortlessly shoehorns in fun facts about insects ("Did you know that cockroaches have two brains?" Bobby asks the hapless Arnie as he pursues him with Hercules). An altogether chipper outing. Ages 9-12. (Mar.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

``Brothers protect one another'' is the message of Yep's (The Magic Paintbrush, 1999) latest, a good natured but uninspired exploration of the bond that ties brother to brother. When the novel begins, nine-year-old Teddy isn't a big fan of ``that brotherly love stuff'' and, in fact, finds his younger bug-enthusiast brother Bobby to be downright irritating. But when a bully attacks Bobby in the schoolyard, Teddy surprises himself by evoking the older brother creed, ``Nobody could do serious damage to my little brother except me.'' Teddy manages to temporarily stave off the bully whom he dubs Arnie-zilla because of his strength and size, but he's also made a powerful enemy who's bent on revenge. The plot meanders, taking a tedious detour for a family dinner before coming to the heart of the matter, defeating the bully. Much to Teddy's surprise, it's Bobby who, using his superior knowledge of insects and human nature, ingeniously figures out how to tame Arnie-zilla, winning his older brother's admiration in the process. Though a tad bland, Yep's comical tale goes down smoothly and both big and little brothers should derive comfort from its benignly reassuring message. (Fiction. 9-11) -- Copyright ©2000, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Readers who remember brothers Teddy and Bobby from Later, Gator (1997) will welcome their return here. The brothers are still very different and frequently at odds with each other, but this time they grow closer as they combine forces against a common enemy: Arnie, the school bully. In danger of getting pummeled to a pulp, insect-loving Bobby finds Arnie's weak spot--a fear of cockroaches. Through Bobby, Teddy is introduced to the neighborhood entomologist, as well as to Hercules the pet roach. Bobby ultimately defeats Arnie, not with fists, but with imagination and psychology. But, as in so many of Yep's books, the point is not so much getting even as breaking down barriers: the brothers uncover a grim reason for Arnie's fears and fierceness, and initiate a cautious friendship. A few scenes seem unfocused, and this can't compare to Yep's more mature novels, but for readers in lower grades, this puts bugs and mean bullies against an unusual cultural background. Children need not be familiar with the earlier book to enjoy this one, though they will probably seek out the older title to find out about the alligator Teddy mentions several times. Catherine Andronik
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Edition details

• Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
• Publication date: 2000
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0786804874
• ISBN 13: 9780786804870
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 144