Helen C Johannes

Frederick Fly-Catcher Helen C Johannes

Frederick the frog isn't looking for adventure. His life in the family pond--hanging out and catching flies--is perfect. Or it would be if a bully wasn't harassing the youngest frogs. To defend them, Frederick accepts a fly-catching challenge, but what he catches isn't an insect. It's a magic ring, and Frederick has swallowed it! Whenever he burps or coughs, something terrifying happens to the pond.



"Frogs shouldn't have anything to do with human things," says wise Uncle Ben, so to protect his family, Frederick must leave the only world he knows.



The world beyond the pond is frightening, but rather than hide or mope, Frederick sets out to get rid of this dangerous human thing. His only hope is to find the small human who tossed the ring into the pond, the boy chased by big men and bigger horses. The boy is in trouble, too, but how can Frederick, one little frog, save a human, much less the pond from an evil sorcerer?



A middle grade chapter book, 16 chapters, approximately 18,000 words.