I, Fly: The Buzz About Flies and How Awesome They Are

by Bridget Heos

Heos, B. (2015). I, fly: The buzz about flies and how awesome they are. New York, NY: Henry Holt and Company.

Why do students always study butterflies in school?  I mean really, what is so great about them?  Is it their wings?  Their ability to fly?  The metamorphic transformation? Well guess who else has all those things...the incredible fly, that's who!  Told from the perspective of a fully mature fly (he's 21 days old to be exact), this humorous story takes students through the entire life cycle of a fly and shares some fascinating details on not only what makes flies special, but why they are so much more awesome than those boring, annoying and clumsy butterflies.  Still unconvinced, the skeptical students have some serious questions about fly behavior, such as throwing up on food and spreading disease.  After the fly pleads his case, the class comes to the conclusion that "Flies rule!" and decide to capture him and study him after all.  Uh oh!  Upon finding himself trapped in a clean habitat with no trash or rotting food, he quickly decides he needs to hype up how disgusting flies are and begs for release.  Far from your typical, primary level reader on insects, this book is funny, while scientifically fact filled, and will captivate younger students.  Illustrator Jennifer Plecas manages to make the flies and even the maggots adorable, and a glossary and bibliography are included for further information and research.  This 2016 Texas 2x2 book is recommended for children in grades K-4.

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