Gillian McDunn does it again! Loved this story of friendship and finding.your own voice. Thank.you.NetGalley!

This is a good MG story that addresses peer pressure and bees! My rating 4.5.

Meg has a nervous nature. She and Beatrice have been friends for years. As they enter middle school, Meg is excited to be accepted into a special science class. She just doesn’t know how to tell Bea who will want Meg to join her in dance class as usual. Meg has felt Bea’s ‘freeze’ attitude before and doesn’t want to experience that again.

A new girl has moved into the neighborhood. Hazel is quirky and, to Meg’s horror, Hazel keeps beehives. Hazel and her mother attend a local party hosted by Bea’s mother. When Hazel unexpectedly becomes the center of attention, Bea quickly becomes jealous and starts to make fun of Hazel. When it slips that Meg is taking science Bea is angry that Meg didn’t tell her. Things get worse when Hazel becomes Meg’s science lab partner.

Meg’s mother encourages Meg to become friends with Hazel. But Meg is afraid of the bees that Hazel is so excited about. Meg is in a quandary caught between her childhood friend and the possibility of making a new friend. Meg wants to stand up to Bea and her entourage who are making fun of Hazel and being mean to Meg too.

This is a story of middle-grade peer pressure and growth. I could feel Meg’s anguish and I didn’t care for Bea and her friends. I felt sorry for Bea too as she is willing to lose a good friend over her own self-importance. Hazel has her own emotional issues that children can relate to. I also loved the science of the bees and how the girls used that creatively in their science project and even in response to an effort to ban the beehives from town. I think this is an appropriate book for middle graders to read to understand the impact their behaviors can have on children who are new or different.

Source: Title from the publisher and NetGalley 2020.

Title: The Queen Bee and Me
Author: Gillian McDunn
Rating 4 🐝

For as long as Meg can remember it’s always been Meg and Beatrix. They do everything together but now that they entered middle school Meg is noticing Beatrix isn’t who she thought. As a new girl Hazel joins the school and becomes friends with Meg, Meg’s relationship with Beatrix becomes tense. Can Meg keep both her friends or will she end up without any?

This was a powerful book especially for middle school. Think #meangirls but in 7th grade. I didn’t like the relationship between Beatrix and Meg mostly because of the power dynamic between them. However Megs relationship with Hazel was so easy. I loved that Meg learns to stand up for herself and what she believes in.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

#thequeenbeeandme #middlegrade #fiction #bee #🐝 #standingupforwhatsright #netgalley #netgalleyreview

Meg is constantly in her best friend Beatrix's shadow since Kindergarten. Beatrix has changed into the "queen bee" of middle school, and not in a good way. When Hazel, a new girl moves into the neighborhood, Meg becomes science partners with her. Hazel is raising bees and is obsessed with them. She suggests doing the project on honey bees that she has in her backyard. People in the neighborhood don't want the bees, saying that they are dangerous to kids and animals. When the project becomes more than just a science project - Meg has to choose between Beatrix and Hazel. Middle grade readers will connect to this story of friendship, standing up for what's right, and finding your voice.

This was a cute middle grades novel! I’d recommend this to my students - especially girls going through the friend drama mess that inevitably happens each year!

Thank you Bloomsbury USA Children’s Books and NetGalley for an eARC of this book. A lot of middle grade books that center on friendship are usually from the perspective of a friend being left behind. It was nice reading a book that came from a different side-one where a friend wants to expand her friend circle, but her BFF clings to her and begins showing her some negative sides of herself. I gave this book 3 stars and look forward to sharing with my students.

THE QUEEN BEE AND ME was a fantastic story about navigating the murky waters of of middle school life. My favorite part of this book was that there was no clear Good Girl or Mean Girl. Each of the characters had admirable characteristics as well as dangerous flaws, making it easy for girls to find themselves in each of them. I think it offers young girls a chance to self reflect and grow vs. easily judging one another. Fantastic book!

We get a fair number of books about friendship trouble in the middle school years, especially between girls. McDunn takes a hard look at social dynamics among these girls. We see the manipulative "queen bee', the subservient friend who goes along and spreads gossip to appease the leader, and the outsider who lies to avoid things she doesn't want to talk about, who doesn't really know who to fit en even though she wants to. That's the difference with this book. The outsider wants friends but doesn't really know how to conform. She isn't Stargirl, a determined outsider, just a socially awkward kid. We see each girl learning to stand up for herself and the things she believes in. Each girl has lessons to learn, none of them completely villain or completely victim. It's socially complex and more reflective of real life than we typically see. A solid choice.

A friendship story centered around a new kid at school, a science class, and bees. I loved how Meg grew and changed over the course of the book - the exploration of her anxiety and fear about bees, public speaking, etc. as well as how she pushes through her fear (with varying results). The relationship with the resident "mean girl" provides great fodder for discussion for readers both at home and at school. I especially liked the ways Meg and her mom had to work through what Meg's relationship with both Beatrix and Hazel should look like - what does it mean to be a good friend? What behavior do you wrestle with and when is it okay to step away? Good stuff.

When you have been best friends with your best friend your whole elementary life, does that guarantee you will stay best friends in middle school? Beatrix and Meg have been best friends since Kindergarten and Meg has always felt comfort in being in Beatrix's shadow. Middle school has brought some changes in Beatrix and Meg doesn't like them too much. Beatrix and Meg have been in dance together, even though Meg can't dance, she has always done it because that is what Beatrix wanted to do. When Meg is accepted into a new science elective she is thrilled but also terrified because she is afraid that Beatrix will pull "The Freeze" on her, just like she has before. Meg does not want to be on the receiving end of "the freeze" again. That is problem number one for Meg. Problem number two is this new girl named Hazel. From the minute Beatrix meets her she doesn't like her and begins to bully Hazel. Meg doesn't think it is right but she is too afraid to stand up to Beatrix, especially over some new girl. But when Meg and Hazel are paired together in the science elective, Meg learns that Hazel is a nice person in need of a friend. This enrages Beatrix even more and soon Meg may be the one who doesn't have any friends. Will Meg have the nerve to stand up to Beatrix over her bullying? Will Beatrix put "the freeze" on Meg so that no one in the school will like her? Will Beatrix and her mom succeed in getting Hazel's bee hives kicked out of the town? Read this incredible story of the love of family, the risks involved in standing up for what is right, and finding friendship in the most unlikely of places. ​

This has become one of my favorite books! I know there are so many kids out there that believe that they only way they will have a friend is to be in their shadows and be their puppet. Meg has been that friends for so long and she learns that when she finds her own voice it is very powerful! She is such an amazing role model to all of those kids to learn that they can come out of the shadows and be themselves!! Do not miss this book!!!

My daughter just turned 6, and I’m already not looking forward to her teenage years. Tween and teen girls can be awful, but books like The Queen Bee and Me give me hope that with even one good friend, we can all survive it.

At the heart of The Queen Bee and Me are three girls who are trying to figure out where they stand in the world.

Meg is a protagonist you want to succeed. In the beginning, Meg is a pleaser. She wants everyone to be happy. As she realizes that’s impossible, her world opens up. Her journey is emotional and heartfelt, and it’s a joy to see her blossom.

Initially, I really disliked Beatrix. She comes across as stuck-up and bossy. It would have been easy for author Gillian McDunn to play to stereotypes and leave things there, but she doesn’t. She addresses the hidden fears and dreams hiding beneath the surface.

Hazel appears to have all the confidence in the world. From the way she dresses to her bold ideas, you’d think she has it all together. As her insecurities come to light, she becomes a much more complex character.

One of my favorite elements in The Queen Bee and Me was Meg’s strained relationship with her mother. As a parent, it helped open my eyes to the ever-shifting parent/child dynamic. And I’m sure it will resonate with the intended audience as they compare it to their own parental interactions.

The Queen Bee and Me is an honest book that is on point socially and emotionally. McDunn’s writing is clear and accessible and instantly inviting. If you are or have a tween/teen girl, this book should definitely be on your shelf.

Link goes live 2/20/20

Meg and Beatrix have been best friends since kindergarten. They have been nearly inseparable; in fact, when someone sees just one of them, that person immediately asks where the other is. Lately, Meg has been feeling more constrained by this friendship, though she doesn’t want to lose it. Beatrix has dictated so much about their friendship, including which elective they will both take, and doesn’t take Meg’s wishes into account. She stops speaking to Meg and others when they don’t do what she wants.

Her latest target is the new girl, Hazel, because Hazel and Meg are starting to bond over a science elective, and because Hazel finds out first that Meg will be in the science elective—Meg is too scared to tell Beatrix, something that her family doesn’t understand.

This book explores friendship dynamics, including letting go of toxic friendship, as well as finding yourself and summoning the courage to do what is right for yourself.

This book is an insightful look at being true to oneself and what constitutes true friendship. It’s one I highly recommend that all upper elementary and middle schools have in classroom and school libraries, as well as one that would make a great read aloud.

This is one I will read again, as well as one I will booktalk in my children’s literature course

This is a great story about friendship and the challenges that young people have as they grow up. The author presented the issues that develop among Meg, Beatrix, and Hazel in a way that feels very real. My heart was with Meg as she had to make decisions what she wanted to stand for.

Early digital review copy provided by NetGalley.

I very much enjoyed and devoured this book. The Queen Bee and Me has relatability, accessibility, appealability, notability. Basically, Gillian McDunn has all the abilities with this book. I really love the double use of "Queen Bee" in the title too, referring not only to the queen bee in middle school but also the queen bee within the hive and how both play into this marvelous book.

Thanks to @netgalley and #booktrek for an ARC of this book.

This book was simply delightful. It is the tale of bees, friendship and finding your voice. I completely enjoyed this book and it would make a great addition to any classroom library grade 3 and up.

This is the second book by this author and I enjoyed her other book, Caterpillar Summer just as much!

I enjoyed the story and the writing but something didn’t click completely for me. It was realistic and well-written but I didn’t love any of the main characters and this was a problem for me. There is your typical dynamic of mean girl best friend (Beatrix) who the main character realizes is mean when a new girl (Hazel) moves to town (who then becomes her new best friend). I didn’t really like Meg’s family, especially her mom. She seemed to care more about what Beatrix’s family thought. There was no real redemption, at least in my option, with Meg’s mother or Beatrix. With Beatrix I was ok with that because she’s a child and that’s realistic. I wanted to love this but I just thought it was ok. I think middle schoolers looking for a more dramatic novel, with some light-hearted moments, will enjoy this.

Just like “Caterpillar Summer,” the characters from “The Queen Bee and Me” burrowed deep into my soul. This book makes the reader feel all the feels—joy, anger, sadness, helplessness, regret, indignation and eventually empowerment. The role that the bees played in the plot was both eye-opening and effective! I will be passing this along to fans of Natalie Lloyd and Jess Redman.

Meg & Beatrix have been best friends since kindergarten. However, they have started to grow apart and Meg doesn’t like how Beatrix treats others. She especially is concerned by how Beatrix treats the new girl, Hazel, who loves bees!

I love how Meg grew and developed throughout the story. This was a wonderful book that many kids will identity with.

Middle School is so hard, and being a middle school girl is filled with endless challenges.

Many of these challenges seem to stem from the managing of friendships during this time of lots of changes and growing up. There are so many complications and questions that come up when dealing with friendships and being in middle school.

How do you deal with a friend that seems to be slipping away?

What happens when you suddenly giving you the "silent treatment"?

Is it better to do something to please your friend or yourself?

Can you have more than one best friend?

Gillian McDunn's new novel, The Queen Bee and Me, tackles these problems head-on.

Meg and Beatrix have been friends since forever. They have grown up doing everything together. But that seems to be changing now.

It starts with Meg confessing to Beatrix that she no longer wishes to take dance lessons. Her heart is into science, and she desperately wants to take the science elective at school. Beatrix feels angry that her best friend seems to be abandoning her. Beatrix's life involves dance, and she wishes her best friend could see that.

The friendship gets even more tense when a new girl named Hazel moves in. Like Meg, Hazel is in the science elective, and the two of them are paired up together for a huge project. They are to study bees and create a huge presentation about all of their findings.

Beatrix's anger explodes, and she quickly turns things up into "mean girl status." As one of the most popular girls in her school, Beatrix gets everyone to "buzz" at Hazel. After all, Beatrix thinks Hazel is weird and taking her best friend away. She feels that Hazel deserves to know who is the boss at school. In addition to bullying Hazel, Beatrix enlists her mother to have Hazel's prize bees once and for all removed from the neighborhood.

Beatrix's antics are not all lost on Hazel. Meg quickly also becomes a target. Beatrix gives her the "freeze," kicks her out of their carpool, and even has her immediately replaced at their lunch table. Now, Meg is stuck sneaking lunch in the library while she tries to repair her friendship with Beatrix and also tries to support Hazel and her bees.

The Queen Bee and Me is a story that will resonate with anyone that picks up this novel. It is about growing up and managing friendships. All readers will be able to picture themselves in the characters' shoes.

Whether we are a Beatrix, a Meg, or a Hazel, we have all felt and struggled with managing friendships in middle school.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC of this book.

Meg and Beatrix have been friends for many years, but Meg is starting to see a different side of her friend that's hard to like. When a new girl, Hazel, arrives at school who has her own sense of style, and an affinity for bees, Beatrix takes an immediate dislike to her. Meg ends up as Hazel's partner in their science elective, and the two girls hit it off, but Beatrix isn't going to let Meg walk away from her without a scene. The drama extends to the adults as Beatrix's mother want to get rid of the bees that Hazel and her mom recently moved to their new house.

I really loved how this story accurately captured how difficult changing friendship can be at this age. Not only do we see the power dynamics shift with the girls, but also their mothers, and I love that the author touched on the fact that grown women are not immune to difficult friendships, too. I loved watching Meg begin to figure out the kind of person she wants to be, and that she was the one to help her mom see a different perspective, too. We also learn some important factual information about bees and their importance to the environment.

This is a great middle grade story to pass along to students as they explore their own changing friendship dynamics and figuring out who they want to be. I will definitely be adding it to our library's collection when it comes out on March 3, 2020.