Have you ever heard the buzzes and clicks of the cicadas on a hot summer night? As part of the Animal Diaries: Life Cycles series, your students will get an up–close and personal look into the life cycle of a periodical cicada. Written as a science diary, A Periodical Cicada’s Life truly brings cicadas to life on every page. The detailed photographs and interesting facts will capture the interest of all your students. This book is arranged as a diary, with each page describing a different period of time in the cicada’s life cycle. These diary entries are observations made by the main character Sophia as she walks in the forest with her father. Observations include the nymph stage, color changes as an adult, cicada songs and swarms, laying eggs, and eventual nymph stage once again. Included with the diary entries are detailed photographs, bolded vocabulary words defined in a picture glossary, fun facts, and discussion questions. After finishing the diary, the book also has a “Science Lab” where students are asked to write their own diary about the periodical cicada, along with question prompts. For educators, there is a companion website that provides links to more information and a crossword puzzle that can be downloaded or played online. A Periodical Cicada’s Life is a great addition to any lesson about life cycles since it is one that is often overlooked. It could even serve as a lesson on insects or habitats. However used, this book is sure capture your students’ attention, even if it is an “eww gross!”
