Ruby Finley Vs. the Interstellar Invasion
Square Fish · Paperback · February 17, 2026
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- Who it’s for
- A backyard mystery pairs close-up insect curiosity with the unruly fun of an interstellar threat.
- Themes
- Insect study and science, Neighborhood mystery, Friendship
- Pacing
- Fast
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Start with this bookAbout this book
Ruby Finley vs. the Interstellar Invasion is a backyard adventure-mystery by debut children’s author K. Tempest Bradford, perfect for fans of Clean Getaway, The Last Last Day of Summer, and Sideways School. Eleven-year-old Ruby is a Black girl who loves studying insects and would do just about anything to be an entomologist, much to the grossed-out dismay of her Gramma.
Continue reading
Ruby knows everything there is to know about insects so when she finds the weirdest bug she’s ever seen in her front yard, she makes sure no one is looking and captures it for further study. But then Ruby realizes that the creature isn't just a regular bug. And it has promptly burned a hole through her window and disappeared. Soon, random things around the neighborhood go missing, and no one's heard from the old lady down the street for a week. Ruby and her friends will have to recover the strange bug before the feds do. Ruby is the science hero we’ve all been waiting for!
Curiosity Takes Flight
A backyard mystery pairs close-up insect curiosity with the unruly fun of an interstellar threat.
Come here for
- A young bug enthusiast who takes her science seriously
- Neighborhood oddities and an exceptionally strange insect
Expect
- An adventure-mystery with a science-minded heroine
- A lively blend of insects, friendship, and alien trouble
Where it sits
| Alien Contact | 78% |
|---|---|
| Mysteries & Detective Stories | 77% |
| Action & Adventure | 40% |
Percentages are BookFrontier’s reading of the book.
Publisher categories
- Bugs & Insects
- US: African American Stories
- Sci-Fi
- Authors
- K. Tempest Bradford
- Publisher
- Square Fish
- Published
- February 17, 2026
- Format
- Paperback
- Theme
- Insect study and science · Neighborhood mystery · Friendship
- Reading lane
- Bugs & Insects