The Queen Bee and Me by Gillian McDunn
source: copy for review; all opinions are my own
Official Summary (add to Goodreads): Meg has been friends with confident, self-assured Beatrix since kindergarten. She’s always found comfort in Beatrix’s shadow—even their families call them Beatrix-and-Meg. But middle school has brought some changes in Beatrix, especially when Meg tries to step outside her role as sidekick. Upsetting Beatrix means risking The Freeze—or worse.
Meg gets into a special science elective and wants to take the class, no matter what Beatrix thinks. But when quirky new girl Hazel becomes Meg’s science partner, Beatrix sets her sights on Hazel. At first, Meg is taken aback at how mean Beatrix can be—and how difficult it is to stand up to her friend. But as Meg gets to know Hazel while working on their backyard beehive project, she starts to wonder: What’s it really like to be the Queen Bee? And more importantly: Is being Beatrix’s friend worth turning down the possibility of finding her own voice?
Review: I love a good middle grade novel, and I’m trying to read more of them. I felt that The Queen Bee and Me did a great job portraying middle school. It’s a weird time in most kids’ lives, and I could understand the tug-of-war that Meg was in when it came to her best friend Beatrix and doing her own thing. Meg doesn’t want her elective to be dance – she wants it to be science. Beatrix always assumes Meg will do what she wants. That’s the way it’s always been.
Along with science elective, comes new girl Hazel who Beatrix is immediately mean to. Meg doesn’t always do the right things, but she gets better throughout the book, which felt realistic to me. It’s not easy to stand up to your friends, or to do the right thing sometimes. She gets there though, and I liked seeing Meg and Hazel become closer.
At the same time, Meg learns to see good in a lot of things – like bees! She’s always been very afraid of them, but doing a project on bees with Hazel (who owns them with her mom), she begins to realize that while the idea of being stung is still scary, bees are actually really important to the way the world works.
I think The Queen Bee and Me would make a great choice for middle school girls! Also, since we are all currently stuck at home, I went on Pinterest to find some bee-themed crafts that you can possibly do with your children (of various ages).
Bee-Themed Crafts in Honor of The Queen Bee and Me
Simple Mom Project has these FREE Printable Bumble Bee Templates that you could use for coloring or any other craft!
DIY & Crafts has a tutorial on how to make this cute DIY Tin Can Bee Decoration.
Buggy and Buddy shows you how to make this really cute Egg Carton Bee!
Easy Peasy and Fun has a fun Painted Bee Rock craft!
And finally, the perfect craft to make for anyone who wants to read The Queen Bee and Me – a Bumble Bee Bookmark! Mommy Made That shows you just how to make these cute bookmarks, with a bee printable to help you out too!
If anyone makes one of these crafts, please do let me know! I’d love to see the final project!
This book sounds great – and honestly I most of us have come across a self appointed Queen Bee!
These crafts are so sweet – the bookmark is my favourite.
Those crafts look like they would be so much fun! Glad this was a good read as well!
Both the book and crafts are so adorable! This would be a great way to tie in reading with arts and crafts for all those parents with kids at home right now.
That’s kind of what I thought!!
This sounds like a book I will add to the list for Zoe when shes older. I love finding crafts to go along with books!
This book sounds really good and one I would have liked when I was a middle grade reader. Heck, I might read it anyway! I love the bee crafts too, I might have to try some of those!
Definitely let me know if you do any of the crafts!
The Queen Bee and Me sounds like such a great story for MG readers – especially girls. And the bee crafts are so adorable! 🙂
The book sounds great and the crafts are adorable!
Oh I love this Lauren! A book with craft pairings! All of these bee crafts look like fun, I love the little bee rocks and bee bookmarks!
I’ve always felt like a kid who tends to be a queen (or king) bee should be exposed to other royal bees – it gives them a chance to sometimes have to step down from the throne and see it from a different perspective. I love that the characters are growing and struggling, because that feels real to me. Also, awesome idea to add the crafts – I’d love to make that one with the cans, honestly.
I think we need to make some bee rocks and this books sounds perfect for my 6th grader Thanks for sharing. I hope you are doing well 🙂
Wonderful!! I hope your daughter enjoys the book and/or making bee rocks!
Nice find for a good girls MG book. Things really are shifting in a person’s life at that age.
Cute crafts and I love that all are based on items at home. Great finds, Lauren!
Thank you! I wanted the crafts to be things that MOST people might be able to do these days.
Sounds like a cute book. Love that you paired it with crafts too. I’ll bookmark for when my daughter is a littleolder.
I love the tin can bee. So cute!
So cute! Nathan and I have been taking walks and we have seen some painted rocks while walking the neighborhoods. I love the bee ones!
Carrie
curlycraftymom.com
Sounds like a good book with a good moral or lesson. Middle school was toughy tough tough for me. Girls can be the worst! And the girls on the cheerleading squad with me were horrible to me and to each other.
Love the bee crafts you provided. I put rock painting on my spring bucket list. Might try those darling bees. I get so nervous doing things like that, though. Need to get over it and just enjoy the opportunity to craft.
You should definitely do some rock painting. It’s fun, even if it doesn’t turn out the way you want!
LOVE this! There are so many parents asking me for tips as to what to do with their kids right now. I will definitely send a few of them over to your post. 🙂
Thanks so much Olivia!!
Oh I love bees! I just bought bee fabric to make a face mask.
Karen @ For What It’s Worth
Ooh fun!! I hope you share the final product.
Aww! I love the painted rocks!
LOVE the bee crafts that you paired with this book. SO cute!! The book sounds like a great read for MG girls!
Aw, thanks! I thought the bee crafts would be fun.
Aww, these are all such cute ideas! <3 I love the painted rocks!
I like the sound of this one. Glad Meg had the courage to branch out away from Beatrix and go up the courage to do the right thing. The bees are cute! 🙂