Iowa
Great Reads from Great Places
"Grasshopper Jungle" by Andrew Smith
Age: Young Adult
Austin and Robby didn't exactly mean to start the end of the world in the small town of Ealing, Iowa — but that's what happens when they unleash an army of six-foot-tall praying mantises. “Grasshopper Jungle” (Speak) is a coming-of-age story set in recession-era, small-town America.
Andrew Smith is the award-winning author of several novels for young adults. “Grasshopper Jungle” is a Michael L. Printz Honor Book.
Iowa Center for the Book External
State Library of Iowa
Learn more about this state's 2021 Great Reads from Great Places book selection in this video.