From Powells.com
Our favorite books of the year.
Staff Pick
Danielle Davis's debut has everything you could ever want in a middle grade read: embracing your creativity, being an understanding friend, communication and handling your emotions healthily, and feeling lost but finding your home. There's a wide-ranging cast of eccentric characters too, and it brims with both humor and heart — a total package reminiscent of the great Kate DiCamillo. Recommended By Jordan S., Powells.com
Synopses & Reviews
A colony of honeybees mistakes seventh-grader Zinnia’s hair for a hive — and that’s the least of her problems. While Zinnia's classmates are celebrating the last day of seventh grade, she's in the vice principal's office, serving detention. Her offense? Harmlessly yarn-bombing a statue of the school mascot. When Zinnia rushes home to commiserate with her older brother and best friend, Adam, she's devastated to discover that he's gone — with no explanation. Zinnia’s day surely can't get any worse... until a colony of honeybees inhabits her hive-like hair! Infused with magical realism, Danielle Davis delivers a quirky, heartfelt debut, exploring both the complex life of a young loner and a comical hive of honeybees. Together, these alternating and unexpected perspectives will touch anyone who has ever felt alone, betrayed, or misunderstood.
Review
"Adding a dollop of magic realism, Davis alternates between Zinnia’s story and the bees’ predicament, both atop their disappointingly pollen-free host and as a species struggling in the world at large. Readers will empathize with Zinnia as she wonders about her missing brother, deals with her mother, and renews fractured friendships. As they follow the bees’ activities, they’ll learn apian facts and gain insight into what is happening to bees in the US. This fascinating and unusual look at family, friendships, and insects is a good match for Robin Stevenson’s The Summer We Saved the Bees (2015)." Booklist
Review
"Despite the outlandish premise, Davis does an excellent job crafting human characters who are varied in their emotions and grow in awareness. The solution to Zinnia’s problems is believable and clever yet still leaves room for change. A good fit for a larger collection looking for unusual books on friendship and growing up." School Library Journal
Review
"Davis's debut demands that readers check their disbelief at the door....But she manages to keep it together, embedding readers in Zinnia's believable, often funny perspective with occasional cutaways to the bees, who narrate their side of the misadventure in a wry collective voice that combines snippets of bee biology with fancy (they break-dance to "combat despair"). Bee cognoscenti will scoff at the sheer ridiculousness of the premise, but its extreme silliness works its own magic to mitigate this....decidedly offbeat and emotionally true." Kirkus Reviews
Synopsis
Talk about having a lousy day. While Zinnia's seventh-grade classmates are celebrating the last day of school, she's cooped up in the vice principal's office, serving detention. Her offense? Yarn bombing a statue of the school mascot. And when Zinnia rushes home to commiserate with her older brother, Adam, who also happens to be her best friend, she's devastated to discover that he's left home with no explanation. Just when it looks like Zinnia's day can't possibly get any worse, a colony of frantic honeybees mistakes her hair for a hive and lands on her head Told from the alternating perspectives of Zinnia -- a humorous young loner and knitter -- and an unintentionally comical hive of honeybees, this quirky, heartfelt novel will strike a chord with anyone who has ever felt alone, betrayed, or misunderstood as it explores the challenges that come with learning to trust yourself and the often messy process of discovering the true meaning to home.
Synopsis
A colony of honeybees mistakes seventh-grader Zinnia's hair for a hive -- and that's the least of her problems. While Zinnia's classmates are celebrating the last day of seventh grade, she's in the vice principal's office, serving detention. Her offense? Harmlessly yarn-bombing a statue of the school mascot. When Zinnia rushes home to commiserate with her older brother and best friend, Adam, she's devastated to discover that he's gone -- with no explanation. Zinnia's day surely can't get any worse . . . until a colony of honeybees inhabits her hive-like hair Infused with magical realism, Danielle Davis delivers a quirky, heartfelt debut, exploring both the complex life of a young loner and a comical hive of honeybees. Together, these alternating and unexpected perspectives will touch anyone who has ever felt alone, betrayed, or misunderstood.
About the Author
Danielle Davis grew up in Singapore and Hong Kong and now lives in Los Angeles where she reads, writes, and roller skates. She's earned an M.A. in Literature and Creative Writing and her short stories have been published in literary magazines. She's had the privilege of teaching English to middle school and community college students and currently volunteers with literary orgainzations in L.A. Zinnia and the Bees is her first novel.