Cockroach Cooties - Softcover

Laurence Yep is the author of numerous beloved children's books, including the Newbery Honor Books Dragonwings and Dragon's Gate, ALA Notable Book The Rainbow People, and Later, Gator. He lives in California.

``Brothers protect one another'' is the message of Yep's (The Magic Paintbrush, 1999) latest, a good natured but uninspired exploration of the bond that ties brother to brother. When the novel begins, nine-year-old Teddy isn't a big fan of ``that brotherly love stuff'' and, in fact, finds his younger bug-enthusiast brother Bobby to be downright irritating. But when a bully attacks Bobby in the schoolyard, Teddy surprises himself by evoking the older brother creed, ``Nobody could do serious damage to my little brother except me.'' Teddy manages to temporarily stave off the bully whom he dubs Arnie-zilla because of his strength and size, but he's also made a powerful enemy who's bent on revenge. The plot meanders, taking a tedious detour for a family dinner before coming to the heart of the matter, defeating the bully. Much to Teddy's surprise, it's Bobby who, using his superior knowledge of insects and human nature, ingeniously figures out how to tame Arnie-zilla, winning his older brother's admiration in the process. Though a tad bland, Yep's comical tale goes down smoothly and both big and little brothers should derive comfort from its benignly reassuring message. (Fiction. 9-11) -- Copyright ©2000, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.