How's this for a backstory? 'A boy had a pet fly. Together with the zippy metallic cover and short, simple text, which is divided into three short chapters, they add up to a fly-by delight. Arnold's golf ball–eyed kids and fly are amusingly and comically exaggerated. After Fly Guy boinks Miss Muzzle on the nose, she tries to swat him and makes such a mess that she is fired, and Roz returns the next day. Everyone misses Roz, and Buzz makes a plan. She is replaced by Miss Muzzle, who makes burnt peas and turnips. Sadly, Roz is fired after her boss demands that the lunchroom be fly-free. When he meets Roz, the lunch lady, she pronounces, “No flies in the lunchroom!” Then Fly Guy endears himself to her by saying her name, “Rozzz,” and she feeds him treats (fish heads in sour milk). Fly Guy loves the dirty dishes, the smelly mop, and the garbage cans.

There's definitely a “buzz” in the school lunchroom.

It could also serve slightly older reluctant and struggling readers.–Bobbee Pennington, Bryan Public Library, TXīooklistArnold, Tedd.

The text has suitable repetitive phrases to aid the developing fluency of students beginning to read independently. The cartoon illustrations are funny and action-packed and the layout is appropriate for beginning readers, with one or two sentences per page. The writing is fast paced, the plot is interesting, and many of the humorous and mildly “gross” details will appeal to children. Finally, Buzz comes up with a plan, Roz is reinstated, and Fly Guy gets to stay in the lunchroom. Fly Guy is subsequently banned from the room by her replacement, who is a terrible cook. When the lunch lady allows the insect to live in the lunchroom, she is fired. K-Gr 2–In this easy chapter book, Buzz's pet fly attends school with him. Fledgling readers will cheer the intrepid insect on as he engineers Roz's return, and is last seen basking in a redolent bowl of garbage soup. Arnold's pop-eyed, big-headed cartoon figures provide the proper comedic air for this brief episode, which is arranged in chapters and wrapped in an eye-catching, glittery cover. But when Roz is fired in favor of Miss Muzzle-whose idea of a nourishing lunch is burnt peas and turnips-it's up to the resourceful Fly Guy to return the favor. Which is to say, he discovers the lunchroom run by the esteemed Roz, a fine cook who isn't above rewarding a bug who can say her name with a delicious cup of chicken bones and fish heads in sour milk. The busy, buzzy beastie introduced in Hi! Fly Guy (2005) accompanies his best bud Buzz to school, and enters fly heaven.

Super fly guy by tedd arnold