Beetle Boy - the Review!
Year 6 Reading Blog – Beetle Boy Review
This term we have been reading Beetle Boy by M.G. Leonard and WOW — what a book! I honestly think it is one of the best class novels we have ever read.
The story is about a boy called Darkus whose dad suddenly disappears after acting very strangely in a beetle exhibition. Darkus then goes to live with his Uncle Maxy, who is not very good at looking after himself but is very kind. Soon Darkus meets some amazing beetles (including one very special one called Baxter ) and realises that beetles are much cleverer than people think! Together with his friends Virginia and Bertolt, he tries to solve the mystery of his missing dad.
What We Loved About the Plot and Characters
I loved how the plot is full of mystery and adventure. It keeps you guessing all the time. Every chapter made me want to read on because something surprising always happened.
The characters are brilliant. Darkus is brave and determined, even when things are scary. Virginia is bold and confident and says exactly what she thinks. Bertolt is kind and thoughtful. Uncle Maxy is funny but caring deep down.
But the most shocking character is the villain — Lucretia Cutter. She is creepy, dramatic and obsessed with beetles. She pretends to be glamorous, but she is actually cruel and selfish. I love how the author makes her seem larger than life, almost like a supervillain.
The Shocking Getaway!
The biggest surprise in the book was when Lucretia Cutter escapes at the end! Just when you think she has finally been caught… she dramatically gets away. I could not believe it. It made the ending feel unfinished in a good way — like there is more to come. It left our whole class gasping.
How We Used the Book for SATs Skills
We didn’t just enjoy the story — we used it to practise our SATs reading skills too!
Retrieval – finding facts directly from the text (like clues about where Darkus’s dad went).
Inference – reading between the lines to understand how characters feel, especially when Darkus is worried or when Lucretia is hiding her true intentions.
Summarising – writing short summaries of each chapter.
Comparing – comparing Darkus and Lucretia, or Uncle Maxy at the start and at the end.
Understanding vocabulary – learning tricky words about insects and emotions.
It made SATs practise much more fun because we actually cared about the story!
Our Sequel Idea!
We have loved this book so much that we are planning to write our own sequel based on the dramatic getaway of Lucretia Cutter. We want to imagine where she escaped to and how Darkus might stop her next time. Maybe she is planning something even worse…
Our Predictions – What Happens Next?
Here are some predictions from our class:
Child A: I think Lucretia Cutter will build an army of trained beetles and try to take over London.
Child B: I think Darkus’s dad will invent a new beetle gadget to track her down.
Child C: I think Virginia will discover a secret about Lucretia’s past that explains why she is so evil.
Child D: I think Baxter the beetle will save the day again and become famous.
Child E: I think Lucretia will pretend to be good but secretly plan revenge.
Overall, Beetle Boy is exciting, mysterious and full of adventure. I would recommend it to anyone who likes animals, villains and surprising endings. It is definitely a 10/10 from Year 6!
