Lightning Bugs — Patrick Jennings

Gr 2-4-In this fourth book in the series, Ike and Mem are catching lightning bugs with their friends when Dave kills one of the insects and presses the lightning part onto the back of his finger to make a glow ring. Mem is horrified, and her reaction intensifies when, like the other boys, her brother follows suit and accepts the makings of a ring for his own finger. Mem refuses to talk to her brother, and Ike is consumed by guilt and disappointed in his own behavior. To redeem himself, he uses his savings to buy all of the other children plastic lightning rings, confronts Dave, and apologizes to Mem. Spot and full-page pencil drawings complement this quiet, thoughtful story. A good addition for beginning chapter-book collections.-Linda B. Zeilstra, Skokie Public Library, IL Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.