Fact Friday: Call the Bee Doctor: How Science is Saving Honey Bees by Sandra Markle

Image: Lerner Publishing 

Call the Bee Doctor: How Science is Saving Honey Bees by Sandra Markle. 48 p. Millbrook Press/ Lerner Publishing, October, 2024. Review of copy borrowed from public library. 

Fact Friday features Call the Bee Doctor: How Science is Saving Honey Bees by Sandra Markle. In 2013, veteran science writer, Markle published a book called The Case of the Vanishing Honeybees. In it, she described how the honeybee population was threatened by something called Colony Collapse Disorder. In this update, Ms. Markle describes the work of apiologists, or, bee doctors in their search for a cure of CCD.

The photos are the stars here as they help readers further understand the rather technical prose. The glossary may also be consulted frequently. Ms. Markle details the process of scientific inquiry and highlights the highs and lows. She makes the connection between honeybees and their importance to agriculture and the effect of climate change and use of pesticides on their survival. She might even inspire some middle school students to become apiologists!

In addition to a great glossary, the back matter includes additional sources, making this book a valuable resource for young researchers. Long live the queen!

Fact Friday: Honeybee Rescue: a Backyard Drama by Loree Griffin Burns.

 

Image: Charlesbridge

Honeybee Rescue: a Barnyard Drama by Loree Griffin Burns. Photograps by EllenHarasimowicz. 40 p. Charlesbridge, May, 2022. 9781623542399. (Review of finished copy borrowed from public library.)

Happy Friday! Did you see the Sturgeon Moon last night? Wowzers! It was just gorgeous. The Persied showers are also visible, but there's too much light pollution to really see them around here. And today is just a wonderful break from the heat.

Fact Friday features Honeybee Rescue: a Backyard Drama by Loree Griffin Burns. Backyard drama indeed! Mr. Connery keeps honeybees on his property as pollinators. He is surprised to hear a loud buzzing coming from his barn/ garage, which is in disrepair. He found a colony of honeybees had set up a nice big nest in a corner. When honeybees outgrow their hives, they swarm and set up a new one. Mr. Connery missed the signs, otherwise, he would've added a new layer to his hive boxes. The concern here was not the fact that there was a hive in his mostly empty garage, but for its viability through the winter. The building was leaky and would offer little protection to the hive in the cold months. What to do? Even though Mr. Connery was a beekeeper, he wasn't skilled at removing hives. That was a job for Mr. Nelson, who actually invented a bee vacuum and knows how to move hives without damaging it or harming the bees. You never want to spray a honeybee hive with pesticides to kill them because they are valuable pollinators.

I learned so much about honeybees from Ms. Griffin Burns in this fantastic book which features plenty of full-color photographs showing every step. Back matter includes an interview with Mr. Nelson, a glossary, and author's note, sources and suggestions for further reading. This is the perfect book for young readers who are interested in honeybees, the environment or just a plain great informational read! I can't wait to add it to my school library collection. 

Happy reading!