The main character in this book is a girl named Maggie. Every summer she goes to bug camp. A boy named Mitch also attends the camp. Maggie doesn't like him and thinks he's a pest. Her mom, who studies the effect of acid rain on trees also goes to bug camp. Mr. Capek, another graduate scientist, comes to bug camp. It's Maggies birthday when he arrives so he gives her a present: a collection of firebugs.
Maggie loves them because of their colors. She promises to make Mr. capek a pillow, which is stuffed with pine neddles from a balsam fir. Mr. Capek, Maggies mom, and a bunch of others go on a field expedition.
While they are away Maggies firebugs pop and die. She notices that they won't grow up and calls them " peter pans". Maggie suspects that its the ravens in the area that caused the problem since they mean death in Mr. Capek's country.
Mitch does many tests on Maggies animals including Areaneus the spider, Myotis the bat, and a wasp.
Finally, Maggie suspects that the paper in the bug cage is to blame. She wonders if the chlorine in the paper was the culprit. Mitch takes a bug and puts chlorine on it but its not a good test, because chlorine will kill any bug. Then Mitch finds out it was a hormone that wouldn't let the bugs grow. Since it was the hormone the mystery had been solved.
This was not such a good book because of many reasons. It all took place in the same setting without much excitment. I like mysteries but not this kind.
