The Bug Scientists

Donna M. Jackson's entry in Houghton Mifflin's Scientists in the Field series is one of the stronger ones in a consistently strong series. She profiles real entomologists and forensic bug scientists — people who use insects to solve crimes, study ecosystems, and advance biological research — and pairs the text with crisp documentary photography that makes the work feel immediate and achievable. Booklist gave it a starred review and called it 'sure to attract young readers.' The New York Times and School Library Journal both recommended it; it was also named an NSTA/CBC Outstanding Science Trade Book. The forensic entomology section touches on decomposition in a scientific context that is age-appropriate but may unsettle sensitive younger readers. Published in 2002, so some technical details may have been updated by current research.