Books in Bugged Out! The World's Most Dangerous Bugs series

In 2002, John Tull and his wife, Lucinda, were visiting New York City when they both fell gravely ill. They experienced pounding headaches, strange swellings, and bone-crushing body aches. Doctors then made a startling discovery. Blood tests revealed that John and Lucinda had the bubonic plague—a rare disease transmitted by fleas! Read John and Lucinda’s harrowing tale of survival, and learn all about fleas and the deadly diseases they carry in this engrossing new narrative nonfiction book for young readers.

After a trip to the Dominican Republic, Katie Stephens and Eddie Zytner noticed their feet starting to swell. Then their skin became covered with swirly red marks and fluid-filled blisters. The pain became so intense the couple couldn’t walk. Soon, they discovered the cause of the problem—parasitic hookworms living in their flesh! Read Katie and Eddie’s harrowing tale of survival, and learn all about parasitic worms and the deadly diseases they cause in this engrossing new narrative nonfiction book for young readers.

Erich Burger was on safari in Africa when a small, brown fly bit him. Soon after, he began experiencing a high fever, severe aches, and horrible fatigue. He went to the emergency room and was diagnosed with a life-threatening disease caused by bloodsucking tsetse flies! Would he survive his dangerous encounter with a tiny fly? Read Erich’s harrowing tale of survival, and learn all about flies and the deadly diseases they carry in this engrossing new narrative nonfiction book for young readers.

The whiny buzz of a mosquito is a familiar sound, as is the insect’s red, itchy bite. However, did you know that a mosquito bite can be deadly? A young nurse named Dawn Dubsky became deathly ill after a mosquito bit her. She was so sick, doctors had to take drastic measures to save her. Read Dawn’s harrowing tale of survival, and learn all about mosquitoes and the deadly diseases they carry in this engrossing new narrative nonfiction book for young readers.

Karolina Paniagua was horribly sick and no one could figure out why. At first, Karolina came down with a high fever and joint pain. Over the next couple of weeks, she could barely walk. A doctor decided to test Karolina for Chagas disease, a lethal illness spread by the deadly kissing bug. The test came back positive—Karolina was stunned. Read Karolina’s harrowing tale of survival, and learn all about kissing bugs and the deadly disease they carry in this engrossing new narrative nonfiction book for young readers.

In 2015, Jane Ashley took her dog for a walk through a field in Virginia. The next day, she spotted a black speck on her back. It was a tiny tick. Several days later, Jane developed a throbbing headache, which turned into a fever. Soon, she was so ill she needed to be taken to the hospital. Then Jane’s organs began to fail. What was making her so deathly ill? Read Jane’s harrowing tale of survival, and learn all about ticks and the deadly diseases they carry in this engrossing new narrative nonfiction book for young readers.