Because of a Storm: The Spongy Moth A Small Bug with a Big (and Icky) Impact

By Dorna Schroeter

Book Overview

Raining poop Clouds of moths Leafless summer trees Sound too strange to be real? It's not

Welcome to the creepy, crawly, chaotic world of the spongy moth This bug-filled adventure is part history, part science, and part first-hand experience. It tells the story of an invasive species that's been chewing through North American forests, annoying humans, and creating unpleasant outbreaks for over 150 years.

Travel back to the 1800s to learn how a curious and well-intentioned amateur entomologist started this problem. Meet a modern-day scientist who's been studying these pesky bugs for over 30 years. Find out how acorns, mice, birds, mammals, weather, and fungi can play a role in a spongy moth outbreak.

Perfect for curious kids ages 8-12 who love weird nature facts, yucky bug stories, and real-life science. This book shows how even icky creatures can teach us something about our world.

Grade Level: 4 - 6

Lexile: 780L

Perfect for: educators, librarians, homeschoolers, environmental education programs, science kits

This story provides literary support for several Disciplinary Core Ideas, such as Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystems, Food Webs, Interdependence, Biodiversity, Cause and Effect in Ecosystems, Resilience, and Human Impact. And Cross-Cutting Concepts such as Cause and Effect, Patterns, Stability and Change, Systems and System Models.

Great for parents looking for:

nature books for kidsbooks about ecosystems for childrenenvironment books for childrenchildren's books about insectschildren's books about invasive speciesecology books for kids

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1966997000
• ISBN13: 9781966997009
• Release Date: November 2025
• Publisher: Inspired by Nature Books
• Length: 48 Pages
• Weight: 0.39 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.1" x 11.0" x 8.5"
• Age Range: 8 to 11 years
• Grade Range: Grades 3 to 6