The Queen Bee and Me
by
Gillian McDunn
Edition
Hardcover edition
Publisher
Bloomsbury Publishing
Imprint
Bloomsbury USA
ISBN
9781681197517
POTENTIALLY SENSITIVE AREAS
None
Meg has been best friends with Beatrix forever. Everyone at school wants to be like confident, decisive Beatrix, and Meg has always felt the same. But this year, Meg wants to take a science course instead of dance class. She’d rather do what makes her happy—not what Beatrix wants.
When a quirky girl named Hazel moves to town, Meg is partnered with her on a science project about bees. Meg learns a lot about being Queen Bee—in a hive and in middle school. As Beatrix is less than welcoming to Hazel, Meg feels her loyalty fraying. Choosing Hazel could mean ending her oldest friendship—a choice more difficult than Meg ever expected.
POTENTIALLY SENSITIVE AREAS
None
Details
Format
Page Count
288
Trim Size
8 1/4" x 5 1/2"
Dewey
F
AR
4.1: points 8
Genre
Fiction
Scholastic Reading Counts
0
JLG Release
Apr 2020
Book Genres
Realistic Fiction
Topics
Best friends. Friendship. Bees. Bullying. Middle schools.
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Cover Art
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Praise & Reviews
Starred or favorable reviews have been received from these periodicals:
Booklist*, Publishers Weekly, School Library Journal
Praise & Reviews
School Library Journal
Seventh graders Meg and Beatrix have been best friends forever—or, at least since kindergarten. Knowing this has made life and school effortless for otherwise anxious Meg. Until last year, when Queen Bee Beatrix invoked The Freeze on her. Ever since, Meg has been nervous about taking the wrong step with Beatrix, especially since that step may include taking a special science elective she was hand-picked for instead of the dance class they’ve always taken together (which Meg is horrible at, anyway). Things only get harder when a new girl, odd-ball Hazel, moves into the neighborhood, becomes Meg’s partner in her science elective, and brings a literal hive of bees that Beatrix and her well-connected mother think are dangerous. When one of Beatrix’s family dogs is attacked and stung numerous times, Meg tries to keep the peace with Beatrix. Meg shares more than she should about Hazel’s past, and things get stickier than honey. While the three main players and their families default to white, the cast of secondary characters is diverse. Additionally, commentary on the importance of bees and the nature of girl “drama” versus “boys disagreeing” deftly graces the overarching friendship and familial plot lines, creating a truthful look at the complicated friendships of middle school and what happens when, forced to choose between a new friend and an old one, you choose yourself instead. Fully realized characters and high-stakes yet realistic middle school dilemmas with real-world applications make this a royal addition to shelves for upper elementary and middle school readers.
School Library Journal
Gr 4-8-Seventh graders Meg and Beatrix have been best friends forever-or, at least since kindergarten. Knowing this has made life and school effortless for otherwise anxious Meg. Until last year, when Queen Bee Beatrix invoked The Freeze on her. Ever since, Meg has been nervous about taking the wrong step with Beatrix, especially since that step may include taking a special science elective she was hand-picked for instead of the dance class they've always taken together (which Meg is horrible at, anyway). Things only get harder when a new girl, odd-ball Hazel, moves into the neighborhood, becomes Meg's partner in her science elective, and brings a literal hive of bees that Beatrix and her well-connected mother think are dangerous. When one of Beatrix's family dogs is attacked and stung numerous times, Meg tries to keep the peace with Beatrix. Meg shares more than she should about Hazel's past, and things get stickier than honey. While the three main players and their families default to white, the cast of secondary characters is diverse. Additionally, commentary on the importance of bees and the nature of girl "drama" versus "boys disagreeing" deftly graces the overarching friendship and familial plot lines, creating a truthful look at the complicated friendships of middle school and what happens when, forced to choose between a new friend and an old one, you choose yourself instead. VERDICT Fully realized characters and high-stakes yet realistic middle school dilemmas with real-world applications make this a royal addition to shelves for upper elementary and middle school readers.-Brittany Drehobl, Morton Grove Public Library, IL?(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Grades 5-7
Upper Elementary & Junior High
For Grades 5-7
The perfect literary mix for your middle-grade readers. Featuring subject matter a bit more complex and multi-dimensional, this category is packed with captivating novels and fascinating nonfiction. Expect the 12 books offered in tis category to fly off the shelf.
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Interests
Clean Books,Chapter Books/Novels,Fiction,Reluctant Readers,Transitional Readers,Realistic Fiction
Grades 5-7
Upper Elementary & Junior High
12 books per Year
$236.64 per Year
