Fireflies

by Heather C. Hudak (Editor)

Young readers explore everything from the basics of life cycles and body features to fun facts about fireflies.

24 pages, Library Binding

First published July 1, 2008

About the author

Heather C. Hudak has worked as a professional writer for more than a decade. She began her career as a journalist with a small northern newspaper, before working as a movie critic for an entertainment magazine. When she arrived at work one day and the doors were locked, she started a new chapter in children's book publishing. For eight years, Heather developed and wrote dozens of books, and she edited hundreds more for the educational market. Now, she is turning a new page in her writing career. Her first full-length, young adult novel, Breathless, is now available for ebook readers. Wanderlust, a second title in the Breathless series, is currently in development. Heather will be publishing her first chick lit novel, A New Life, this spring. When Heather is not writing, she enjoys traveling to new and exotic places, as well as camping in the mountains. With her husband, Heather rescues animals that would not otherwise find a loving home. Hershey, the one-eyed, blind, epileptic, snaggle-toothed cat, and Turtle, a sternumless Siamese, are just a few members of their menagerie.

Reviews

[Debra · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my favorite in the several Firefly books that I gathered. This has wonderful photos and none too scary. My grandson told me that one of the books had too many scary photos, they were very close up and showed the hairs and did look somewhat grotesque. Good information, not too much on page and nice typeset for easy reading.

[Meredith · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book introduces the insect firefly, which is a type of beetle.

This book, illustrated with color photographs, gives a basic introduction to fireflies. It describes their physical characteristics, their life cycle, what they eat, and where they live.

A glossary, an index, suggested websites, and a craft idea are included at the back of the book.

The photographs are good, and several types of fireflies are depicted. However, the images are not labeled, and the fireflies are not identified, which is a missed opportunity.

Although the text says that fireflies glow, it never explains how. Perhaps, the explanation was deemed too complex for young readers. Also, the firefly’s "lantern" should have been included in the description of its body parts. The term is used later in the text without its being defined as the organ in a firefly’s abdomen that glows. One can deduce this from the context clues, but it’s not completely obvious, and "lantern" is not included in the glossary.