Harry the Poisonous Centipede Goes to Sea by Lynne Reid Banks, illustrated by Tony Ross Grades 3-5 208 pages HarperCollins August 2006 Hardcover     Harry and George (or rather Hxzltl and Grnddjl, to use their proper centipede names) are off on their third adventure in this fun-to-read novel that brings us Hoo-mins (humans) down to, below, and beyond ground level. In this tale, Harry and George discover a straight-up-hard-thing filled with tree-droppings (crate of bananas) as they hunt for goodies for their evening meal. The decadent aroma of a certain exquisite edible insect lures them into the crate, and thus begins an adventure of epic proportions - especially to a centipede. The centeens abruptly find themselves with a girl centipede, and the three end up transported thousands of miles from their tropical locale. It’s hard enough being in an unfamiliar world, but the boys also find that they should heed the advice of their girl companion since she has experience surviving in the no-top world. Lynne Reid Banks entertains her audience with a glimpse into the life, and believable language, of the giant tropical poisonous centipede. Banks’ conversational banter as she translates Centipedish makes for an enjoyable tale full of twists and turns and numerous breath-taking moments. This book is an excellent and engaging way to impart some knowledge about the centipede, an insect most hoo-mins may find as scary as spiders. Tony Ross’ black-and-white line illustrations actively capture the centeens as they struggle to survive in a new world and try to find their way back home. Educational and entertaining, Harry the Poisonous Centipede Goes to Sea is great for readers who love insects, and for those of us open to seeing what life is like from a centipede’s point of view.       web reviews   Lisa Haselton/2006 for curled up with a good kid's book   For grown-up fiction, nonfiction and speculative fiction book reviews, visit our sister site Curled Up With a Good Book (www.curledup.com)