Thematic Booklist
Accelerated Readers
Pascoe, E. (2001). Flies. Farmington Hills, MI: Gale Group.
Explains the characteristics, habits, life cycle, and appearance of the many species of flies.
Framan, N. (2001). What’s That Bug? Tampa, FL: Little, Brown and Co.
Gives young readers a look at the insect world the same way scientists do.
Miller, S. (1999). Cicadas and Aphids. New York, NY: Scholastic Library Publishing.
Gives an overview of the characteristics and natural habitats of these bugs.
Losito, L. (1998). Discovering Damselflies and Dragonflies. New York, NY: Watts Franklin.
A new world of damselflies and dragonflies.
Holch, G. (1998). The Things With Wings. New York, NY: Scholastic, Inc.
A young girl is obsessed with butterflies and tries to discover more about them.
Developmental Readers
Brickloe, J. (1986). Fireflies. Riverside, NJ: Simon and Schuster Children’s.
A boy captures fireflies and soon realizes they will die if he does not let them go.
Berger, G., Berger, M., and Effler, J. (1999). How Do Flies Walk Upside Down? New York, NY: Scholastic, Inc.
Answers questions and provides information about the physical characteristics, senses, eating habits, life cycles, and behavior of different insects.
Berger, M. and Berger, M. (2000). Billions of Bugs. New York, NY: Scholastic, Inc.
Gives information about a variety of insects like flies, bees, butterflies, and caterpillars.
Lantier-Sampson, P. (1991). Flying Insects. New York, NY: Gareth Stevens Audio.
Gives information about flying insects.
Berger, M. (1997). Flies Taste With Their Feet. New York, NY: Scholastic, Inc.
Interesting facts about flies and other insects.
McDonald, M. (2000). Mosquitoes. Chanhassen, MN: Child’s World Inc.
Examines the physical characteristics, behavior, habitat, and life cycles of mosquitoes.
Theodorou, R. (1999). Insects. Des Plaines, Ill: Heinemann Library.
Discusses the life cycles and lifestyles of insects.
Gerholdt, J. (1996). Dragonflies. Edina, MN: ABDO Publishing Co.
Gives an inside look at dragonflies and their lives.
Lozoff, B. (2002). Wonderful Life of A Fly Who Couldn’t Fly. New York, NY: Hampton Roads Publishing Co., Inc.
A fly that does not grow wings and his mother reassures him that wings are not everything.
Farndon, J. (1999). Butterflies and Moths. New York, NY: Anness Publishing, Ltd.
The brilliant lives of butterflies and moths.
Woodward, J. (2002). What Lives In The Garden? New York, NY: Barron’s Educational Series, Inc.
The secret lives of what lives in the garden outside.
Cassers, J. and Robinson, F. (2002). Creepy Beetles. New York, NY: Scholastic, Inc.
Rhyming text to discover beetles.
Fanelli, S. (2002). First Flight. New York, NY: Cape, Jonathan Limited.
A butterfly learns to fly.
Smith-Saunders, G. (1999). Insects. New York, NY: Capestone Press.
Lifecycles of all types of flying insects.
Hass, E. (1989). Incognito Mosquito Flies Again. New York, NY: Alfred A. Knopf.
A mosquito detective tells his friends of his encounters in work and life.
Hopkins, L. (1992). Flit, Flutter, and Fly! New York, NY: Doubleday and Co., Inc.
A collection of poems about bugs.
Banks, H. (1997). Fly’s Eyes Looking At The World Through Fly’s Eyes. New York, NY: Maverick Projects.
Seeing the world through the eyes of a fly.
Scutter-Perrot, A. (1993). Gnat. New York, NY: Creative Company
Discuss the physical characteristics, life cycle, and usefulness of gnats.
Watts, B. (1991). Moth. New York, NY: Silver Burdett Press.
Goes through the life cycle of the moth.
Humphrey, E., Johnstone, L., and Levine, S. (1999). 3-D Bees and Microfleas. New York, NY: Sommerville House Books, Limited.
See their world in microscopic eyes.
Rudner, B. (1995). Bumblebee and the RAM. New York, NY: Tiny Thought Press.
A bumblebee that should not fly-does.
Corrective Readers
Alexander E. and Hawes, J. (1991). Fireflies in the Night. New York, NY: HarperCollins Children’s Books.
Describes how fireflies make their light, tells how to catch them and handle them, and several interesting uses for firefly light.
Wamble, L. (2001). Elmo’s World: Bugs. New York, NY: Random House.
Elmo takes you along with him to learn about bugs.
Lloyd-Jones, K. and Winer, Y. (2001). Butterflies Fly. New York, NY: Charlesbridge Publishing, Inc.
Uses rhyme to teach about butterflies.
Gerber, C. (200). Firefly Night. New York, NY: Charlesbridge Publishing, Inc.
A young Chippewa girl follows a firefly as it reveals the secrets of the night.
Grodin, C. (1993). Freddie the Fly. New York, NY: Random House.
A fly helps a little boy with his troubles.
Hartley, L. (1996). Fly Away Ladybug. New York, NY: Garret Educational Corporation.
Photographs and text describing a ladybugs life.
Leach, A. (1999). Oh Doug! A Dragonfly’s Day. New York, NY: Take Flight Publications.
A dragonfly that wants to be everything but what he is.
Remedial Readers
Carle, E. (1999). The Very Lonely Firefly. New York, NY: Penguin Putnam Books for Young Readers.
A lonely firefly goes out in search for others.
Lawrence, E. and Rhodes, K. Fly, Little Butterfly. (2002). New York, NY: Barron’s Educational Series, Inc.
Caterpillar wakes up a butterfly one day and goes to meet all of her other flying friends.
Finn, L. and Tickle, J. (2003). The Very Lazy Ladybug. New York, NY: M E Media.
A lazy ladybug does not want to fly but cannot find a ride.
Lamut, S. (1998). Fluttery Butterflies. New York, NY: Putnam Publishing Group.
Gives information on butterflies.
Pienkowski, J. (2000). Oh My A Fly. Santa Monica, CA: Intervisual Books, Inc.
A fun story about a fly bothering different things.
Murray, J. (2002). Ladybugs. New York, NY: ABDO Publishing.
Physical characteristics, behavior, habitat, and life cycle of ladybugs.
Lawrence, E. and Rhodes, K. (2002). Busy Buzzy Bee. New York, NY: Barron’s Educational Series, Inc.
The life of a busy bee.
Hendra, S. (2000). In the Air. San Diego, CA: Silver Dolphin Books.
Identifying flying bugs.
Activities To Do With Flying Insects
Activity One:
Have students choose their flying insect. Then have them make a detailed drawing of it with a short description of it. Display these in the classroom.
Activity Two:
Have pictures of flying insects on cards. Lay them on the floor and have the students try to find the matches.
Activity Three:
Test the students on their knowledge of insects. Give them the first letter of the word they need to know. Then give them a hint so they can get the word.
Ex: Letter Hint Answer
W Bees fly with these wings
Activity Four:
Have children choose a flying insect. Then have them find and write the following information: description, food, habitat, lifecycle, protection, and interesting facts. Have them share this with the class.
Activity Five:
Have students go out with insect nets and try to catch flying insects. Bring them back into the classroom and identify what they are and their characteristics.
Activity Six:
Have students study symmetry and butterflies. Have them cut out a butterfly pattern. Then have them paint one half of the butterfly and press it to the other half. Their butterfly will have the same pattern on both sides. Display this artwork in the classroom.