Honeybees and Frenemies

April 1, 2019

Gr 4-7-It's the summer before eighth grade, and 12-year-old Flor faces much uncertainty and unease. Instead of the fun, relaxing summer she was imagining, Flor must deal with her best friend Brooke spending the summer away at Band Camp (and likely finding new besties), while she is stuck working at her family's mattress store dressed up as a giant mattress. To make matters worse, it's Honeydale's 50th annual Honey Festival, and all prior Queen Bees are expected to compete for this year's title. This pairs Flor with her arch enemy, Candice, who has despised her since Flor won the coveted title when they were in third grade. Candice and Flor are forced to work together to develop a talent for the show, while also performing community service for mysterious hermit Mr. Henry. Curmudgeonly Mr. Henry has the girls assist him with his plentiful, but ill, bee hives. Throughout the summer, Mr. Henry thaws, and Candice and Flor find they might just get past being frenemies and become real friends. Candice and Flor both want the prize-winning money for being Queen Bee, even if it means learning all about bees and having Flor wear a "bee beard" for their talent. If they win, Flor might just convince her parents to stay in Honeydale, rather than moving away to New Jersey and abandoning their suffering mattress business. Wientge has created spirted, realistic characters that readers will root for and identify with. Each chapter begins with a fascinating random bee fact. VERDICT Readers will enjoy this satisfying tale while learning about bees and complicated friendships; expect buzz for future titles from this author.-Michele Shaw, Quail Run Elementary School, San Ramon, CA

Copyright 2019 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 1, 2019
When 12-year-old Florence Valandhingam is forced to jointly compete with her archenemy in the local Honey Festival, she learns important lessons about friendship, trust, and belonging. Flor is having the worst summer ever. Her best friend, Brooke, is going away to band camp just when the two of them are old enough to enjoy a modicum of freedom. Her parents, who used to get along, can't stop fighting. Worst of all, Flor is forced to jointly compete with Candice, her nemesis, for the title of queen at the Honey Festival. At first, Flor is sure that their history will make it impossible to compete: When Florence beat out Candice for the title of queen in third grade, Candice told everyone it was because the largely white town had to pick a person of color or biracial Flor's parents--her dad is white and her mom, South Asian--would sue. But as the two girls get to know each other, Flor starts to believe that she and Candice might not be the worst team--especially when both of them realize that they are competing not to beat the other entrants but for the futures of their families. Narrator Flor's voice strikes just the right balance of naiveté and sarcasm, rendering it authentic and fun to read. Wientge seamlessly weaves issues like racism, economic stability, and environmental devastation into a clear, engaging plot. While the book moves at a good pace, the last third feels a tad rushed--a small quibble. A sweet and satisfying read about friendship, sisterhood, and change. (Fiction. 8-12)

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May 27, 2019
The summer after sixth grade has barely started, but it’s already a disaster for Flor. Her best friend will be away, and Flor must dress in a mattress costume to help her father’s faltering store. As if that weren’t bad enough, their town of Honeydale, Ohio is celebrating its 50th Honey Festival with a competition of past winners of the Queen Bee pageant. Flor, who won in third grade, is teamed up with her former best friend and onetime runner-up Candice. Now, the frenemies will spend the summer practicing a talent and volunteering for Mr. Henry, the town’s hermit. When Flor learns that the pageant winner gets $2,000, she determines to find a talent, win the competition, and save her family’s store, and Mr. Henry, who works with bees, may hold the key. Bee facts preface every chapter, and information about their plight is woven seamlessly into the text. Flor’s mother is of South Asian descent, and Wientge (Karma Khullar’s Moustache) includes realistic portrayals of Flor’s experiences of racism (in third grade, Candice insisted about the pageant, “You only won because you’re mixed”) and questions about her identity. Flor’s struggles with the complexities of friendship and family are realistic and relatable in this engaging coming-of-age journey. Ages 8–12.