Bugs In My Hair?!

When Alex spills milk on his football jersey and Morgan’s braid unravels, they both say, “These things happen.” But Ellie LaFleur, who is practically perfect, sniffs, “Not to me.” And it’s true. Ellie’s nails are always filed, her clothes are snazzy, and her long locks are lovely. So when Ellie’s head begins to itch, she’s sure it’s an allergy.

“WHAT DO YOU MEAN I HAVE BUGS IN MY HAIR?!” blurts Ellie when her mother and the school nurse give her the bad news: Ellie has head lice. “These things happen,” says Ellie’s mother. At home, Ellie and her mother talk to the doctor and read the papers from the school nurse. Then they shampoo, comb, and do laundry. Ellie even writes a note for kids who get head lice—“These things happen,” it says.

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  • 32 Pages
  • 8" x 10"
  • 9780807509098
  • March 2010

Buy from Albert Whitman

  • 9780807592564
  • March 2019

Reviews

  • Educational without being boring, this is a perfect book for schools to keep on hand when the lice strike in first or second grade. A note to grown-ups at the beginning of the book explains current treatment for lice, reassuring them that lice happens even to those of us who are prissy and perfect.

    - Children's Literature

  • Meticulously groomed Ellie is distraught to learn she has lice, but she uses the unpleasant experience to learn about lice and share the information with her friends. Cartoon drawings capture the range of Ellie’s emotions as she deals with her unwelcome visitors. Her advice letter to the “kid who just found out you have lice” sums up the facts.

    - The Horn Book Guide

  • Stier has taken a difficult topic and turned it into a charming story that demystifies the fears and false information surrounding lice infestation. The writing is stylized yet not overdone and comes across simply without sounding didactic.

    - School Library Journal

Awards & Accolades

  • Best Children's Books of the Year 2009, Bank Street College

Illustrator

Common Core

RL.1.1,2,3,4,5,6,7,9 RL.2.1,2,3,4,5,6,7,10 SL.K.1a,1b,2,3,4,5 SL.1.1a,1b,1c,2,3,4,5

 

  • Accelerated Reader Points: 0.50
  • ATOS Level: 3.30