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The Bug Bandits

Name: The Bug Bandits
Brand: Arotahi Agency
SKU: 9780310181293
Price: 35.0 NZD
Availability: InStock

The Museum Is Her Home. Her Mission Is to Save It.

By Jenni L Walsh

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Brief Description

A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection, now available in softcover! 2026-2027 Tome Society Book Award Winner A 2026 MIDDLE-GRADE FAVOURITE, Children’s Book Council Home Alone meets A Night in the Museum in this clever middle-grade heist story by USA Today bestselling author Jenni L. Walsh.... Read More

Format: Paperback / softback

$35⁰⁰

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Releases 1^st December 2026 (Approx. Date) Pre-order "The Bug Bandits" now to secure your copy from our first shipment

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The Bug Bandits

$35⁰⁰

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This middle-grade novel loosely based on a true heist story will keep readers turning the pages as they follow Liberty Jacobs and her friends on her mission to save her father’s insectarium from bankruptcy and stop a planned “buglary” of the insectarium’s rarest insects.

Description

A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection, now available in softcover!

2026-2027 Tome Society Book Award Winner

A 2026 MIDDLE-GRADE FAVOURITE, Children’s Book Council

Home Alone meets A Night in the Museum in this clever middle-grade heist story by USA Today bestselling author Jenni L. Walsh. When a science-loving girl and her friends overhear a plot to rob her dad’s insectarium, they embark on a mission to stop the burglary of the museum’s rarest insects. Inspired by true events, this STEM-based adventure is perfect for fans of hijinks and mysteries.

Without a mum and with her dad busy running the museum, Liberty Jacobs was practically raised by the tarantulas, leopard geckos, and rare butterflies of the Walnut Street Insectarium. She loves being the resident “Bug Girl,” but unless Liberty and her dad can snag a big investor, they’ll lose the museum, their home, and the funding Liberty needs to launch her dream business: a butterfly release program called Life & Liberty.

The investor meeting is a week away, but there’s a big problem: Liberty has reason to suspect there’s going to be a "buglary" of the museum’s rarest animals. But the police don’t believe her, and with Dad out of town for an insect convention, it’s up to Liberty and her friends (and her vast knowledge of bug defence mechanisms) to thwart the thieves and save the museum.

The Bug Bandits is:

perfect for readers ages 8 and up who love mystery and suspense
an empowering story of adventure, friendship, and courage
ideal for fans of Blue Balliett, James Ponti, and Deron Hicks

“The trio draws inspiration from Home Alone, and the story offers plenty of suspects to consider... The young crime stoppers' escapades will hold readers' interest.” — Kirkus Reviews

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780310181293

Publisher: Zondervan

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 28 January 2027

Country: United States

Imprint: ZonderKidz

Audience: Children

DIMENSIONS

Weight: 350g

Pages: 240

Collections

Children's Books Children's Fiction Children’s, Teenage and Educational Jenni L Walsh Kids & YA Pre-orders Pre-order Books Pre-Order Children's Books Pre-orders Pre-orders by Release Date Young Adult Young Adult Mystery & Thriller

About the Author

Jenni L. Walsh worked for a decade enticing readers as an award-winning advertising copywriter before becoming an author. Her passion lies in transporting readers to another world, be it in historical or contemporary settings. She is a proud graduate of Villanova University, and lives in the Philadelphia suburbs with her husband, daughter, son, and various pets.

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