Harry the Poisonous Centipede's Big Adventure

Starred review from October 28, 2002

In this second adventure, the titular hero heads to the "No-Top World" to rescue best friend George. The bad news: Harry is captured by a "Not-So-Big Hoo-Min." The good news: the same boy has captured George. The pals cut loose but encounter life-threatening rains and a beasts before making it home. Ages 7-10.

May 1, 2001
Gr 3-5-A sequel to Harry the Poisonous Centipede (Morrow, 1997). This time Harry's friend George is missing, and within seconds of sticking his head out of his tunnel hole, Harry ends up on a boy's shelf with a lot of other creepy crawlers in "hard-air prisons" (jars). There is, of course, a dramatic escape and he and George make it home after some perilous meetings with some strange and mostly hostile creatures. There are many references to the first story that may frustrate readers unfamiliar with that book. Banks has created various ways of speaking for her creatures, but instead of actually allowing them to do so, readers are constantly told how they would be speaking, since these ways are unintelligible to humans. The convention becomes tedious and too precious over the course of the book. For superior books with a bug's-eye view, try Carol Sonenklar's Bug Boy (1997) or Bug Girl (1998, both Holt), Mary James's "Shoebag" books (Scholastic), or that all-time favorite by Roald Dahl, James and the Giant Peach (Puffin, 2001).-Carrie Schadle, Beginning with Children School, New York City

Copyright 2001 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

June 1, 2001
Gr. 3-5. In this sequel to " Harry the Poisonous "Centipede: A Story to Make You Squirm (1997), the audacious arthropod finds himself captured by a Not-So-Big Hoo Man and held captive in a "hard-air prison" (glass jar). He also discovers his missing friend George and an assortment of other wiggly creatures that make up the boy's collection. When this "zoo" is accidentally knocked to the floor, Harry and George escape, setting off on a grand adventure that takes them flying to the top of a palm tree, sailing on the ocean, scampering through a sandy beach, and finally trudging back through a wooded area to Harry's mother. Banks' sly sense of humor and knowledge of these tiny beasts are evident, and young readers will appreciate the conversational asides and inventive details. Tony Ross' frequent ink sketches have been nicely integrated into the text; they complement Banks' style and help break up the story for younger readers. A good choice for classroom reading aloud, especially for classes studying creepy crawlers.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2001, American Library Association.)