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Diary of a Fly
Last updated Tuesday, January 6, 2026
Author: Doreen Cronin
Illustrator: Harry Bliss
Date of Publication: 2013
ISBN: 0062232983
Grade Level: 1st (GLCs: Click here for grade level guidelines.)
Date(s) Used: Jan. 2026
Synopsis:
Even though she's little - just like her best friends, Worm and Spider - Fly wants to be a superhero. And why not? She walks on walls, sees in all directions at once, and can already fly!
This is the story of a little fly who's not afraid to dream big. Really big.
| Discussion topics for before reading: |
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This book is number 3 in the series, "Diary of a ...." The first 2 are "Diary of a Worm" and "Diary of a Spider." Have you read either of those books? What do you think about them and what do you expect to be the same/different for a Fly?
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Have you ever kept a diary? What is a diary? Do you think it would be fun or useful? Why?
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What do you know about flies? Do they hatch from eggs? (Yes) But they're not flies yet when they hatch - they are MAGGOTS! (Yuck) that don't even have heads yet!
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Adult flies, like all insects, have 6 legs. Their bodies have 3 parts: head, thorax, abdomen. And they have wings to fly. How are you like an insect? How are you different?
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Would a fly be a good superhero? Why or why not?
Vocabulary:
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regurgitate: bring swallowed food back into the mouth. Vomiting is the regurgitation of partly digested food from the stomach to the mouth
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fly paper: sticky, poison-treated strips of paper that are hung indoors to catch and kill flies.
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maggot: Life stage for a fly after the egg hatches, before it grows a head.
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gnat:a very tiny, flying insect with two wings, closely related to flies and mosquitoes. They usually live near water or wet soil, often fly in swarms at dusk, and some types can bite people or crawl into hair.
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manure: poop
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| Discussion topics for during/after reading: |
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What did the fly go swimming in?
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Why did fly get a time out in the garage?
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What's a food chain? Where is a fly in the food chain? (food for spiders and frogs)
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How is your life like a fly's life? How is your school like the fly's school? How is it different?
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Do any of Fly's friends or family remind you of your friends or family? Why or why not?
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What dreams to you have for yourself, like Fly's dream of being a superhero/ What are they? How do your friends encourage or discourage you?
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What qualities make a person a hero?
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| Craft ideas: |
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Think of one person you consider to be a hero. Draw a picture of this person and write 2-3 sentences about why he/she considers this person a hero.
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Each kid can create a diary of his or her own. Materials needed: Scissors, 3 sheets of paper (preferably white or light yellow), crayons or markers. PLUS either access to a stapler, OR a hole punch and yarn to "bind" the booklet that you make by folding the paper in half, then cutting pages open, and then turning them into a booklet. Make a cover design that says "(kid's name) Diary."
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Make a fly puppet. Two methods:
1. Make a face and paste it onto the flap of a paper bag. Cut out a purple circle for the face and 2 smaller green circles for the eyes. Draw a face on the circle and draw a diamond pattern on the eyeballs and glue them on the face.
2. Use a half sheet of colored paper to cut out an oval body, and cut out a circle from another color half sheet for the head. Use a third color to cut out smaller circles for eyes and draw a diamond pattern on the eyeballs. Glue them all together and add legs and a popsicle (craft) stick to mount to the body. For both methods you should add wings.
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*Note: These craft ideas are just suggestions.
You can use them, but you don't have to use them.
You can expand upon them, or add your own twist.
Remember, though, that the focus of your time should
not be on the development and execution of a craft;
the focus should be on the read-aloud and the
enjoyment of the book!
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