It begins with twelve year old Zinnia yarn bombing Ronny, her middle school’s rattlesnake mascot, with her older brother the day before summer vacation. After spending the day in detention because someone outed her as a knitter (we never find out who did this), Zinnia thinks her day can’t get any worse. Before the day is over, 4,000 bees have taken up residence in her hair and she discovers her brother is missing.

“Adam told me once that he was named Adam and I was named Zinnia because our dad wanted his kids to experience everything in the world from A to Z. That’s how I used to feel with Adam, like we had all the letters of the alphabet connecting us.
But now he’s left me here, a dangling Z.”

Zinnia’s relationship with her mother can be summed up with the knowledge that she calls her mother Dr. Flossdrop. Without Adam as her anchor Zinnia is lost, feeling betrayed and confused by his absence. She’s also still feeling betrayed by some former friends. Zinnia’s new bird watching friend, Birch, and her Aunt Mildred bring a spark to what could have become an overwhelmingly sad book.

I found it poetic that the bees find Zinnia since she shares her name with a flower but the bees didn’t give me the buzz (sorry!) I was looking for. I love bees so was initially intrigued to read from their perspective but each time I read one of the chapters dedicated to their story I became sad or annoyed.

I couldn’t believe that such an intelligent species would be unable to locate a suitable home for themselves or that they could even survive for as long as they did without food (and assumably water). Then there was the fact that of all of the kids and adults in the book only one child detects any of the 4,000 bees on Zinnia’s head. Surely the buzzing alone of that many bees would be a hint! I am almost positive I would have enjoyed this book more if the bees never made an appearance.

This is a story of bees, a dog named Milkshake, ice cream and French movies. Zinnia’s story is an exploration of how fear can prevent us from truly connecting with people and how lonely life can be when you don’t trust other people or yourself. I absolutely loved Laura K. Horton’s cover illustration.

I’m still furious with Adam. With their mother emotionally absent when she’s not working or doing one of her community projects, Adam and Zinnia are all each other have. Adam’s excuse for why he didn’t tell Zinnia he was leaving felt flimsy and while Zinnia was quick to forgive him, I’m not. Surely he could have * SPOILER - gone off and been a reality TV star on his own and still have clued Zinnia in so she didn’t spend most of the book wasting her time and emotional energy searching for him - SPOILER *.

I kept wondering why Zinnia’s clothes were always charcoal grey when she uses all the colours of the rainbow when knitting. She mentions it’s her favourite colour but I thought there’d be more to it than that. Zinnia also counts random things throughout the book, usually when she’s anxious about something, so my mind automatically went to OCD. This is never addressed though.

Thank you to NetGalley and Capstone for the opportunity to read this book.

I could not get into this book, and to be honest the bees kind of were creeping me out. I am going to pass on this one. Thank you for the opportunity to read this book.

Quirky and oh so original, Zinnia will be sure to charm middle grade readers!

Thanks to the author for providing the @kidlitexchange network with a copy of this book for review purposes - all opinions are my own.

ZINNIA AND THE BEES is definitely a different middle grade story, and one that will appeal to kids who love nature, knitting and cheering for the underdog in a story. Zinnia is dealing with issues that so many kids are dealing with - a working single parent, an absent father, a sibling growing up and away from the rest of the family, friendship issues..........oh, and one issue that NO other kids are dealing with! A hive of bees on. her. head. The chapters in the story are mostly narrated by Zinnia, but some are narrated (in italics) by the bees and include a ton of factual information about bees and their hives - I told you it was unique!

While Zinnia is a 7th grader in the story, it is a very very innocent story and will definitely appeal to upper elementary students with higher level vocabularies as well.

I am at times quite enamored with this book but others leave me feeling rather ambivalent. I guess in part I expected it to be more ecological, less about relationships. I get that the bees are symbolic but I had had trouble buying nobody noticing the bees on Zinnia's head. And while having the point of view of the bees was necessary for exposition I struggled with the chapters where the bees were blaming their scout. That personification felt like it was taking things a bit too far. It's a largely pleasant, relatively quick read, though the moral might be a bit heavy handed.

The last day of seventh grade couldn’t be worse for Zinnia Flossdrop. First, she must spend the day sitting in the principal's office for yarn-bombing the school mascot. At home, she discovers that, Adam, 18, her beloved brother, a talented magician and sometimes prankster-in-crime has left home, leaving no note or explanation. Her rather cold dentist/community activist mom doesn’t seem to care, replacing Adam with a sickly little dog. Seeking comfort, Zinnia buys herself a cone of her favorite ice-cream, which melts, falls out of the cone onto a table, and gets in her hair when she puts her head down for a good cry.

Little does Zinnia know that there is an industrial rental hive of escaped honeybees looking for a new home in order to live as free bees and pollinators as nature meant them to be. Yes, the bees find a new home in Zinnia’s abundant, wildly curly locks. And nothing she does gets them to move out. So, Zinnia does the only thing she can think of - puts on a sweatshirt and covers her hair with a hood.

Which naturally arouses the curiosity of visiting, plaid-wearing Birch, nephew of her next-door neighbor. Birch is a bird-watcher, the son of naturalists, and a solid, straightforward kind of kid, who sees and faces things head-on - luckily for Zinnia. He’s the only person who actually notices that there are bees living in her hair. Little by little, the two become friends, though it is a rocky road given Zinnia’s somewhat depressing situation(s), and Birch’s overly positive attitude. Together, they begin to search solutions to getting the bees out of Zinnia’s hair and into a proper hive, while also trying to find out where Adam might be and why he left so abruptly.

In between Zinnia’s unfolding tale of woe, are short chapters narrated by one of the bees. That way, the reader learns why they decided to run away (with parallels to Adam’s reasons), and the difficulty of surviving until they find a new hive. The plight of the bees is told with both humor and pathos, so be prepared to suspend your disbelief and at the same time, learn some interesting facts about bees.

Over the course of the summer, having a headful of bees and no big brother to fall back on teaches Zinnia some hard truths about herself and her feelings, and about what it means to be a sister, a daughter and a friend.

At first, I thought the yarn bombing thing was kind of silly, but as I read and got to know Zinnia better, I realized it is the perfect metaphor for her - always covering up and hiding her real feelings from everyone around her - feelings that are holding her captive, and which naturally leads to all kinds of misunderstandings.

On the other hand, the bees are looking for freedom, tired of being held captive as pollinators on demand. Their quest for freedom also leads to all kinds of misunderstanding - particularly with regard to Bee 641, who led them to Zinnia’s hair in the first place.

This is a debut middle grade novel for Danielle Davis. Though not without flaws, it is nevertheless an entertaining and well-done novel. I particularly liked the way she managed to weave in some real information about the plight of bees in today’s world through some nice use of magical realism. And I thought her characters were very interesting, and just quirky enough to work without going over the top.

Zinnia and the Bees is a coming of age novel that is sure to please young readers.

This book is recommended for readers age 9+
This book was an EARC received from NetGalley

THIS WAS SO STINKING CUTE.

So this is about a girls named Zinnia who got detention for yarn-bombing a statue on the last day of seventh grade. All in the same day she discovers her brother and best friend Adam has disappeared, and then a colony of honeybees inhabits her hive like hair!

This was just so great. Zinnia was a wonderful main character. She was flawed, definitely was at fault and messed up. But she learned so much during this book! Like you honestly felt like she learned some lessons. And it wasn't things that were just skirted around. They were addressed head on and dealt with properly, which was a plus. Honestly all of the other characters were great too! The growth that she makes with her friends and family was so good and refreshing. I also loved the chapters from the bees point of view, it was cute and different. And I loved how it all wrapped up for her (and the bees)! Definitely recommend if you're in the mood for a book that has great examples of learning of your past/current behavior, well handled family issues, and just a cute, well written book.

Zinnia had been looking forward to her summer, but on her return home from the last day of school, discovers that her brother, Adam, has disappeared without a trace. This is doubly hard because her emotionally absent mother, Dr. Flossdrop, seems unable to offer comfort or even care. Then to make matters worse, a hive of bees sets up home in her hair.
There is a lot I really liked about this book. First off, Zinnia, our protagonist, is a knitter! The yarn bombing bits are fun. I liked Birch, the boy who has come to visit his uncle for the summer, and befriends Zinnia. He's full of kindness and patience. I liked the quirky inserts revealing the perspective of the bees, who have settled on Zinnia's head. I liked that mostly the adults were positive characters.
My problem is that it just didn't all come together for me. Zinnia and her mother's reconciliation seemed too pat. I finished up wondering about those bees and why they were there in the first place. It's possible that I couldn't connect to this story as much as I thought I would because of how long it took me to read it, but then, maybe it took me so long because I couldn't connect.

This book is a little quirky, a whole lot funny and explores the loneliness of being Zinnia who has a love of knitting, and is a self-confessed loner. Imagine having a hive of bees in your hair, yep that is what I said…a hive of bees in your hair. I know right, it doesn’t sound like a whole lot of fun. In fact it sounds down right dreadful.
So if you think having hair full of bees is dreadful, Zinnia’s brother has also gone missing without explanations and it is becoming way too much for Zinnia to handle. Unfortunately, no matter what Zinnia tries she cannot get rid of the bees in her hive. The only good thing happening in her life is that she has Birch…her loyal, bird loving, uncoordinated friend)
I like a book that is a little bit quirky and it makes it fun for the child reader too. I think that is why this book will be delighting the minds of children across the globe.

Zinnia is a young girl whose mother is overbearing, her brother has disappeared under the pressure, and a colony of bees has made their new home in her hair! This middle grade novel has just the right amount of magical realism and teachable moments to make it a good read for not just the 9-12 year old age group, but for others as well.

The bees, normally creatures that I wouldn't want to be near because I don't care for insects, became sympathetic characters here. The group was formally transported from crop to orchard and so on as professional pollinators. Never having been in a wild hive or having had to fend for themselves, when a car accident sets them free they have to make the best of a bad situation. In a town with few trees, worker Bee 641 is the bee elected to find a new place to go and follow their collective dreams, taken from stories passed down from bee generation to bee generation. The bad part? That new home is Zinnia's hair, with a smear of mint chocolate chip ice cream to attract her new "friends".

Zinnia also has her fair share of problems. Her mom doesn't seem to understand her or her knitting/yarn bombing tendencies, activities that she deems "non-useful". Her brother, whose interests also lie in the arts, has left after escalating arguments with their mother about his future. Add this to the loss of her closest group of friends and her summer is looking pretty dim.

Reading Zinnia's story, her working through her problems and her summer days, including reluctantly making friends with her neighbor's nephew and walking her mom's new dog, was always interesting. Zinnia has a pleasant voice, even as she was navigating a difficult time. Her interest in knitting and yarn bombing made her very relatable to me and, I think, somewhat unique. I almost never see main characters that knit like she did; artistic skills like drawing and painting seem to be more popular.

There were alternating chapters and the others not told from Zinnia's first person perspective were told from that of the bees. That was fascinating because, as I mentioned before, I'm not a fan of insects. Reading the activity I've seen going on in the real world from a more personable perspective made it a unique experience. They were friendly creatures, telling the story of going from crop to crop until the day they break free and have to figure out what to do with their new found freedom. Going off "family" stories and, eventually, Zinnia's kindness and knitting know-how, they find their place and worker Bee 641, originally mocked for her lack of hive finding abilities, redeems herself and is revealed as the voice of the bees from the beginning.

Zinnia learns a lot about grieving, about distancing herself from her friends while trying to cling too tightly to another important person, and about being true to yourself, even at the risk of losing everything. From the cover and from the description, one might not think that this novel has as much depth as I discovered it did, but rest assured that Danielle Davis did a masterful job of communicating important values while weaving a magical story.

A few days ago Mr. Book's #BookTalk asked what book had the most original premise I had read in a while. I just realized it is this one. While the title points to the protagonists' (both Zinnia and the bees) predicament, this book is about much more than a girl with bees in her hair. It is about love, lost, and coming to terms with the person you are growing up to be (pun not intended). I will definitely order a copy of this book for my classroom library and encourage other middle school teachers to do the same.

This book is super cute. Obviously it's not written for someone my age and it didn't really blow me away. Plus it had one of the tropes I hate! but i would definitely recommend it to a parent looking to read a book with their kid. What I loved most about it is when it was told from the perspective of one of the bees!

Quirky & fun, Zinnia will endure to fans of middle grade coming-of-age stories. It's a must purchase for all middle grade collections because it will hit home for many.

I had the opportunity to read a digital ARC of this book through NetGalley and I think that middle school readers will definitely be attracted to the unique plot line and the well-voiced characters. Zinnia has just finished seventh grade by getting herself in trouble for yarn-bombing the school mascot with her older brother, Adam. But when she gets home from school, he has left the family mysteriously, without so much as a note. Adam's abrupt departure from home doesn't help Zinnia's tense relationship with her mother, and to make matters worse, a colony of bees has taken up residence in her hair.

The idea of a mass of bees living on my head certainly makes me cringe, but, while Zinnia doesn't like the situation at all, she is amazingly calm about it. The character development is awesome as Zinnia goes from being a depressed loner, to realizing that sometimes it's good to have friends to help out. The book also has messages about reaching for your dreams, being vulnerable or "letting your hair down", and the interdependence of nature.

This book will be available in August. I would recommend it for middle school students, but it would also be fine for upper elementary students.

I requested this eARC only knowing that it was a middle grade book that involved bees. I love MG stories and I love bees, so I figured I would enjoy this book. Turns out, I more than enjoyed this book- I loved it.

Zinnia is a 7th grader who lives with her 18 year old brother Adam (who she feels is her best friend) and Dr. Flossdrop, her dentist mom who seems to care more about her community action group than her actual children. The book opens with Zinnia and Adam yarn bombing the school mascot, Ronny the Rattlesnake.


That is the beginning of Zinnia's very bad day. After someone snitches on her, she is forced to stay the entire last day of school in the principal's office while her classmates enjoy a day of cupcakes and games. When she arrives home that afternoon, she finds out that Adam has disappeared, taking only his clothes... and leaving Zinnia the work boots that had belonged to their father, a gift he had given to Adam before he died. Dr. Flossdrop appears to not care that her oldest has gone missing and instead of comforting Zinnia, she sends her out of her office.

To make a bad day even worse, Zinnia attracts a swarm of bees who, thanks to Bee 641, think her hair is their new home.

Danielle Davis writes a simple story that packs a punch. I love that Zinnia can admit when she's wrong and that she also has the introspection needed to realize that sometimes her problems are her own fault. The friendship that develops between Zinnia and Birch is real and honest. Even when they have a fight, it isn't some dramatic falling out and their apologies are simple.

There are a beautiful cast of characters in this story and they are all well fleshed out, even the adults, which is something that usually lacks in middle grade fiction. I loved that Mildred's Queerness wasn't a huge deal and the way she and her girlfriend were described was so well done, I almost cried. I also loved Lou. He vaguely reminded me of Mr. Bobo from Coraline (but less creepy and without the mice). It was refreshing to see all the adults be there for Zinnia, even if it did take time for her mother to get there. I also LOVED the chapters told from the bees perspective.

All in all, this was a delightful tale about a sad girl, her new friend, and the bees that just want to find a home

I think this novel is aimed at a much younger audience then I originally assumed. The writing is a bit too simplistic for my taste and I found myself reading it a little too quickly without really getting the chance to pause and appreciate any particular moments or the writing.

The novel also reads a bit awkwardly because it seems to deal with two distinct topics of Zinnia's brother and then Zinnia's hair situation. I was far more interested in Zinnia's family life and her relationship with her brother then the bees occupying her hair (which, given the family situation, just felt unimportant). I do think it's a fantastical topic that kids are sure to enjoy reading about but as an adult, I found the lack of focus on one plot really disappointing.

Having said that, I do think this is a fun and enjoyable book. I thought the ending was quite sweet and whilst the chapters that followed the bees' perspective felt jarring to me, they could be a very interesting experience for others. Some of the other characters are quite charming as well and Zinnia's overall social/familial circle is an interesting one.

In the end it's a charming little read, even if it left me a bit dissatisfied.

You’re either going to buy into the concept of Zinnia and the Bees or you aren’t, and I’m afraid I must confess to the latter. This has more to do with the limits of my imagination and grown-up sensibilities than Davis’s writing, though, and I feel confident that this book will appeal to actual middle-graders. For example, I think they will probably be more accepting of Dr. Flossdrop’s parenting and more willing to suspend their disbelief re: summer time hoodie wearing in California. (And, you know, thousands of bees inhabiting a girl’s hair.) The fact that I’m pretty sure Zinnia is an unreliable narrator helps. She is immensely likable as are the rest of the relatively eccentric individuals who round out the cast. (I absolutely adore Birch and his plaidness!) Really, this book reminded me an awful lot of Natalie Lloyd’s A Snicker of Magic , and I think the charming supporting characters had a lot to do with that. I mean, yes, there’s also the magical realism, mother-daughter issues, fun/crazy aunts, friends on a “mission,” ice cream, etc, but the characters give a story its heart. And both of stories have a lot of heart. Definitely recommend Zinnia to any lovers of Lloyd!

Overall, a charmingly quirk tale that I plan to recommend.

Such a cute book! This will be a reread for me for sure and I am going to pass it down to the girls in my family to read as well

My children really enjoyed this book by Danielle Davis. This is a book for middle school ages and very appropriate.