Mealworms: Raise Them, Watch Them, See Them Change

Steve Pitt is a Toronto-based freelance writer and an award-winning journalist. He has written many young adult and children's books, including Day of the Flying Fox: The True Story of World War II Pilot Charley Fox.

Pupa’s got a brand-new bag in this tome dedicated to the king of
classroom metamorphosis, the mealworm. Mealworms are popular as a junior
science class project because they are cheap (only a few cents each at
your local pet store) and harmless, and they pass through an entire life
cycle in only six to eight weeks. The mighty mealworm is actually four
bugs in one. In its egg stage, it is so small you need a magnifying
glass to see a single specimen. In its adult stage, it is a beetle that
changes color. Between egg and adult are two other stages, the pupa and
the larva. The larval stage is the primary focus of this book, although
the overall theme is the life cycle of insects.

The text by Adrienne Mason, a naturalist and environmental educator
with two other nature books to her credit, is clear and engaging. It
explains the difference between complete and incomplete metamorphosis,
how to suck insects into a jar, and how to design a happy habitat for
insect guests. Full-color illustrations by Angela Vaculik are both
attractive and scientifically correct. Recommended.