Benny Buggles and the Termite Elimination
By Douglas W. Martin

SOME TERMITES WANT MORE FOR THEIR LIVES THAN TO JUST EAT YOUR HOUSE. While other termites were busy foraging for cellulose, Benny Buggles dreamed of becoming an artist. But worker termites had limited roles to play in the smalltown colony in Kansas, and making sculpture was not one of them. When his friend Twiggy mentions an audacious plan to escape out to California, Benny jumps at the chance. Arriving at the renowned art academy Auriana, Benny is welcomed as the prestigious institution's newest student and does his best to fit in, finding his rival in three-time Elimination champion James Maximilian, a snobbish termite who looks down on Benny as an untested newcomer pretending to the crown. The manipulative Tiffani Hardwood sees fame and fortune in each of the two promising rivals, playing both sides in the run-up to the biggest art competition of the year. Back home in Kansas, Cassie – working in Brood but harboring dreams of becoming a queen – never loses hope that Benny will return and they will be together again someday. But events soon take an unexpected turn for the worse, and Benny and his friends are tested as never before. Enduring both tragedy and triumph, Benny learns that – win or lose – the things that matter most in life aren't always what they seem, and one's place needn't be so very far away. Benny Buggles and the Termite Elimination is an inspirational story for both young adults and the young at heart. And who knows, it just might inspire a little softness in your local exterminator's heart as well.


Not a false note. While doing the Saturday morning chores, I was listening to the radio. A program on dreams was on, and an author was asked if she wrote for children or for adults. She answered for both. Aren't all children's books read by adults first? All adults were children once. Benny Buggles and the Termite Elimination is a parable, a perfectly told story without a false note. The level of vocabulary employed by William Just is not that of a child, and yet his story has been written free of lingering sadness nor building anger. Time is suspended, his target audience becoming our inner child. Benny Buggles's struggle to become an artist is ours and perhaps also that of the author Mr. Just, or should I say Bill? Once in a while you come upon that rare children's book that contains many levels of comprehension. Of even fewer adult books can that be said! Benny Buggles is that rare adult find where sexual identity and friendship go hand in hand peacefully, where the termites' duty is easily interwined with redemption within the family. Mr. Just has made many fine observations. It's about the termite's emotions and their reflections on life. If you are looking for a dissection of how termites live (do they have a king and queen?), this is not a scientific textbook. There is the occasional rough spot win the narrative where the reader would like to know more, would like to see, rather than imagine, but the parable's overarching logic carries him along without any regret. The real strength of this parable, as must be the case for all parables, is the author's voice. We hear clearly and it rocks us gently into this other universe. There are echos of an American Harry Potter here, such as when Benny moves to the West Coast art school Auriana, leaving behind the seemingly oppresive mid-western home state. Why not? Also the secondary characters are round and well understood. Love inspirational books! I originally bought this book for my 12 year old son but found myself reading and enjoying it, maybe even more than he was! It's an all ages kind of story that keeps you turning the pages faster than you even realize. I really liked it because I love books that have inspirational themes, and this one certainly has some nice themes and lessons that any child (or even adult!) could benefit from. I kept reading because I wanted to find out what would happen to Benny and if he would ultimately be successful. There's alot of humor mixed in with the story that I found really refreshing for a children's kind of book and that I could appreciate as an adult. When they get to the art academy in California, the dean of the school has alot of positive messages for Benny and the students that helps them grow alot, and I have to say that he is probably my favorite character of them all. There are also some "evil" kind of characters that you just love to despise, which makes the story that much more interesting. One of them is a girl who seems to only want to use Benny for whatever she can get out of him. The sad thing is, Benny just doesn't seem to get it. The plot twists quite a bit near the end of the book, and makes for some of the most memorable parts of the story. I especially like what happens with Twiggy and the true character that he demonstrates when things don't go as expected and he is forced to make a huge decision. I also like how Cassie has always been there for Benny through thick and thin and never gave up hope. Overall I would definitely recommend this book for any ages from young adult to adult. Just a word of caution: some of the vocabulary might be too advanced for much younger readers, but if anything it can help them to learn some vocabulary I suppose, which reading is always good for anyway. A Wonderful Allegory -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Just, William. "Benny Buggles and the Termite Elimination", Lulu, 2009. A Wonderful Allegory Amos Lassen I love allegorical stories probably because they are so much fun. William Just brings us one that it is just amazing and both inspires and makes you sit up and take notice. Benny Buggles is a termite living in a small termite colony in Kansas where for generations the Buggles family worked in carpentry. Benny, however, wanted to do something more with his life and decided to leave home and head for California and become an art student at the Academy of Auriana. It is not easy for a termite to leave the nest but Benny was in pursuit of a dream. As he traveled he met some dangerous characters and his own fears did no help that much but he did discover a new faith in the "goodness of termite nature". He discovered also that it was not that easy to gain entrance into the Academy and he had to prove himself by taking part in an art competition known as the "Elimination", and to win it he had to get past manipulations and mischievous actions from some of the worst characters at Auriana. What kept Benny going was hope and he finds joy by knowing that there is a place in the world for everyone. I am sure that everyone can find part of himself here in this wonderfully written book by author Just. I smiled the entire time I read it and even thought to myself what a wonderful way to look at life. It's a quick and rewarding read.