The Lightning Bugs: An Ike and Mem Story - Hardcover

Jennings, Patrick

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0823416739 ISBN 13: 9780823416738

Publisher: Holiday House, 2003

Synopsis

Ike feels bad about not saying anything to neighborhood bully Dave when Dave insists on killing lightning bugs to separate their glowing parts from their bodies to make "lightning rings" for the other children's fingers.

About this title

About the Author:

Patrick Jennings's books for young readers have received honors from Publishers Weekly, The Horn Book, Smithsonian Magazine, the PEN Center USA, the Woman's National Book Association, and the Chicago and New York Public Libraries. The Seattle Public Library awarded his book, Guinea Dog, the Washington State Book Award of 2011. His book, Faith and the Electric Dogs, is currently being adapted for the screen. His newest book, Hissy Fitz, was published in January 2015. He currently writes full time in his home in Port Townsend, Washington.

Review:

Grade 2-4-In this fourth book in the series, Ike and Mem are catching lightning bugs with their friends when Dave kills one of the insects and presses the "lightning part" onto the back of his finger to make a glow ring. Mem is horrified, and her reaction intensifies when, like the other boys, her brother follows suit and accepts the makings of a ring for his own finger. Mem refuses to talk to her brother, and Ike is consumed by guilt and disappointed in his own behavior. To redeem himself, he uses his savings to buy all of the other children plastic lightning rings, confronts Dave, and apologizes to Mem. Spot and full-page pencil drawings complement this quiet, thoughtful story. A good addition for beginning chapter-book collections. Linda B. Zeilstra, Skokie Public Library, IL Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. (School Library Journal)

About this edition

• Publisher: Holiday House
• Publication date: 2003
• ISBN 10: 0823416739
• ISBN 13: 9780823416738
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 32
• Illustrator: Alter Anna