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
State Library of Iowa
Learn more about this state's 2021 Great Reads from Great Places book selection in this video.