If you like stories about intergenerational relationships, don't miss this novel.
Eleven-year-old Leo and his family visit his mother's grouchy father on his farm on an island off the west coast of British Columbia. Grampa is grieving the recent death of his wife, a much loved beekeeper.
It's the first time Leo and his sister, Lizzie, have ever been there. Lizzie is an adventurer, a risk taker who is totally interested in animals of all kinds. Leo, on the other hand is timid. He's an armchair adventurer. His ideal way of interacting with animals is on his virtual farm.
The first morning they are there, Grampa invites Leo to go with him to see the bees. He's terrified, but accompanies him as Grampa tells the bees that their keeper has gone. Wherever he goes, Grampa carries Everything Bees, a book about beekeeping.
When their parents manage to snag an unexpected spa vacation on a nearby island, the children are left alone with Grampa. Thankfully, Beatriz, one of the neighbours, and fellow beekeeper, has agreed to provide dinners for them. Jacques, a local jack of all trades and fellow beekeeper, delivers it.
Leo overcomes his fear of the outside world to accompany Lizzie to the rickety barn where she manages to tame the feral kittens. She especially bonds with one that she brings with her into the house. From then on, Mayhem accompanies them wherever they go.
It's the first time Leo and his sister, Lizzie, have ever been there. Lizzie is an adventurer, a risk taker who is totally interested in animals of all kinds. Leo, on the other hand is timid. He's an armchair adventurer. His ideal way of interacting with animals is on his virtual farm.
The first morning they are there, Grampa invites Leo to go with him to see the bees. He's terrified, but accompanies him as Grampa tells the bees that their keeper has gone. Wherever he goes, Grampa carries Everything Bees, a book about beekeeping.
When their parents manage to snag an unexpected spa vacation on a nearby island, the children are left alone with Grampa. Thankfully, Beatriz, one of the neighbours, and fellow beekeeper, has agreed to provide dinners for them. Jacques, a local jack of all trades and fellow beekeeper, delivers it.
Leo overcomes his fear of the outside world to accompany Lizzie to the rickety barn where she manages to tame the feral kittens. She especially bonds with one that she brings with her into the house. From then on, Mayhem accompanies them wherever they go.
The first night their parents are gone, Leo hears a noise in the night, and when they wake up, they discover that the beehives have been stolen. Word gets out and while Grampa is out and about, the Bumblers, a group of beekeepers, arrive to help. As soon as he sees them, Grampa kicks them out.
It's wonderful to see all these characters grow and change as the novel progresses. It turns out that Leo isn't the staid 'auditor' his father labels him as. Grampa turns out to be a lot of fun. While at the beginning of the book, he forbids 'punning' because it reminds him of their Grandma, by the end, the trio end up in hilarious laughter as they come up with puns.
Leo worries that he could grow up to become like his grandfather.
Leo has actually learned a lot from his online games. He might not have a lot of hands on knowledge, but he still knows a lot about farming and animal needs from his virtual farm. He also knows a lot about investigating crime from an online detective game. This knowledge comes in very handy when they head off with Grandpa in search of the missing hives.
They soon discover another side of Grampa: a wild side. He drives like there are no speed limits. He's not afraid to ignore laws that get in his way. They trespass on the lands of two of the Bumblers in search of the missing hives. While they are there they meet up with and befriend Sofi, Beatriz's daughter, and Sawyer, Jaccque's nephew.
The following day their Bee Quest takes them to another island where Grampa plans to visit a friend, Big Mo, and ask for help. On the ferry they meet with Sawyer and Sofi, who warn them that Big Mo is a known criminal. When they finally meet Margaret and her son, Bruno, they are in for a pleasant surprise. This warm and welcoming family bring out another side of Grampa: someone full of joy and laughter.
The next day, they set off in search of the missing bees. When they stop for gas and snacks, Grampa realizes he left his book at Big Mo's. He leaves the children to buy snacks while he scoots back to pick it up. He doesn't return. Leo discovers that he's not such an armchair adventurer after all when he and Lizzie end up searching for the bees without Grampa.
Leo has actually learned a lot from his online games. He might not have a lot of hands on knowledge, but he still knows a lot about farming and animal needs from his virtual farm. He also knows a lot about investigating crime from an online detective game. This knowledge comes in very handy when they head off with Grandpa in search of the missing hives.
They soon discover another side of Grampa: a wild side. He drives like there are no speed limits. He's not afraid to ignore laws that get in his way. They trespass on the lands of two of the Bumblers in search of the missing hives. While they are there they meet up with and befriend Sofi, Beatriz's daughter, and Sawyer, Jaccque's nephew.
The following day their Bee Quest takes them to another island where Grampa plans to visit a friend, Big Mo, and ask for help. On the ferry they meet with Sawyer and Sofi, who warn them that Big Mo is a known criminal. When they finally meet Margaret and her son, Bruno, they are in for a pleasant surprise. This warm and welcoming family bring out another side of Grampa: someone full of joy and laughter.
The next day, they set off in search of the missing bees. When they stop for gas and snacks, Grampa realizes he left his book at Big Mo's. He leaves the children to buy snacks while he scoots back to pick it up. He doesn't return. Leo discovers that he's not such an armchair adventurer after all when he and Lizzie end up searching for the bees without Grampa.
It's wonderful to see all these characters grow and change as the novel progresses. It turns out that Leo isn't the staid 'auditor' his father labels him as. Grampa turns out to be a lot of fun. While at the beginning of the book, he forbids 'punning' because it reminds him of their Grandma, by the end, the trio end up in hilarious laughter as they come up with puns.
In many ways this is a serious book. It addresses grief, overcoming the labels put on us by others, and overcoming your fears. At the same time, it's full of hilarity. Some of it is situational, but punning is pretty constant throughout. Mayhem adds a lot of humour as well. It's also educational. Part of what I liked about this is how much we learn about bees. Did you know they recognize human faces. Did you know they can be trained to detect bombs?
Right now there is a give away for this book at Goodreads. You better head over and see if you can win one. If you aren't lucky, and end up purchasing this book, it is worth every penny you spend on it!
