From the cover photos of human body louse that the squeamish would call "disgusting," readers are drawn in to this "Life in Strange Places" book. Though I almost can't stand to look at the photos, they may be perfect for some young readers. Especially helpful are "How to say it?" boxes that show pronunciation of difficult words. The Zoo on You contains a profile of the profession of medical entomologist!!! It contains links and advice on keywords for internet searching as well as a bibliography, glossary, and index. KWR, UIUC MLIS (12-03).

Ethan, Eric. Hobo spiders / by Eric Ethan. Milwaukee, WI : Gareth Stevens Pub., 2004. 0836837681 (lib. bdg.) [Dangerous Spiders Series] [An Imagination Library Series] Ages 8-12. Grade: A

While the book designers are very careful not to copy the colors of the very popular comic book character, the stylistic web (not to mention the big ol' spider) on the cover may entice some young fans to explore the world of Hobo spiders. Well organized introduction to the habitat, life cycle, enemies, bites, etc of Hobo spiders. Contains great details such as, "Hobo spiders are part of the "funnel-web"family. All spiders in this family weave webs shaped like funnels." Also has lots of interesting facts. For example, did you know that while their bite, won't kill you it may take years to heal? Contains an exceptional reference section at the end. It is far more detailed than most books for this age group. There is a bibliography, annotated webography, 15 term glossary, and index. KWR 07-04

Hall, Margaret. Ants / by Margaret Hall. Mankato, Minn. : Capstone Press, c2005. [Pebble plus: bugs, bugs, bugs!] 073682586X. Ages 2-8. Grade: A

Very inviting book about ants. Each left page has two easy to read sentences with a lot of open space. For example, "Ants are about the size of a sunflower seed. Ants have six legs." Each right page is a close up of an ant or ants. There is a glossary, short bibliography, index, and publisher updated web links. KWR 02-05.

Hirschmann, Kris. Ticks / by Kris Hirschmann. San Diego, Calif. : Kidhaven Press, 2004.  0737717823 [Parasites series] Grade: A

Everything I ever wanted to know about ticks and more. This book is perfect for aspiring entomologists. Photographs are superb. They show ticks up close and personal. Covers the life cycle of ticks and how to reduce the risk of being bitten. Ticks also shows medical treatment for tick related illnesses.

Chapters are entitled: Tiny blood suckers, The tick attacks, Hurting the host, and Controlling ticks. Includes bibliography, glossary, and index. KWR (05-04)

Orr, Tamra.  Fire ants / Tamra B. Orr.  San Diego, Calif. : Kidhaven Press, c2003. 073771526X Ages 9-14. Grade: A-

Covers fire ant anatomy, life cycle, habitat, and habits. Has many photos and a few good labeled illustrations.  Text is easy to read. There is an index, glossary, and bibliography. KWR (12-04)