Nest

Oppel, K. (2005). The Nest. New York: Simon & Schuster.

Steve is an anxiety filled little boy who worries about the germs he might get on his hands. His mother has recently given birth to his little brother, who was born with many complications. His family life is suddenly put under alot of stress, as they cope with taking care of the baby. One day Steve gets stung by a wasp, and has to go to the doctor because he had an allergic reaction. From that point on family activities are held inside, to protect Steve from the wasps nest that is in their backyard. Steve is very worried about his little brother, and wonders wheather he will live or die. One night he has a dream, and the wasp queen offers him a way to save his little brother. She offers to fix all the things that are wrong with him, and all he has to do is say yes. In despiration Steve agrees, until he is filled in on the queen's evil plot. She wishes to create a whole new baby, with the help of Steve's DNA, an once he is born replace it with his little brother. The queen promises that his parents will never notice, and states that they always clean up their mess. When Steve finds out that the wasps plan to eat his little brother, he does everything in his power to save him. He tries to take back the yes that he gave the queen, but she states that no one ever goes back on their agreements. While the babysitter is out with his little sister, the wasps put their plan into motion to switch the babies. Steve refuses to open the window and get ready to battle the wasps. Since he is allergic, he takes measures to protect himself from the stings, and puts his baby brother in the car seat to protect him. Steve puts up a good fight, but in the end gives in to the allergic reaction from the wasp stings. Some how the authorities are notified, and help is on the way. Steve is found huntched over his little brother protecting him from the wasps. Steve made a full recovery, and thanks to him his little brother only got stung twice. When they came to remove the wasp nest from the house, it filled up fifty garbage bags.  The authorities had never seen anything like the nest or the wasps that inhabited it. The highlight of this book is the ability that it has to weave suspence into every page. Since Steve has OCD the reader never knows wheather he is imagining the wasps or if it is actually happening. The reader expects for Steve to be taken off to a psych ward for treatment, and then they are surprised when he becomes the hero and really saves his little brother from being consumed by the wasps. This is a dark story that can be best appreciated by students in the middle school and above. It can definetly be used in an english , and an extension project can be added through the sciences.