Davis, Danielle. Zinnia and the Bees.

Davis, Danielle. Zinnia and the Bees. Capstone Publishers     2017   240p.   $19.99        ISBN 978-1-62370-867-2          elem/ms            Conflict        E-BN

Zinnia, an eighth grader, is a master knitter. She makes yarn bombs (think tea cozies) for any object. When she cloaks the school mascot, a rattlesnake sculpture, in a full-length yarn bomb as a last-day-of-school prank, her punishment makes her feel like her world is closing in. Her older brother, 18 years old, disappears the next day without notice. After eating an ice cream to console herself over the loss of her brother, she attracts a hive of honey bees that take up residence in her unruly, curly hair without causing her a single sting.  Her attempts to deal with this colony of bees who think her hair is their new hive, trying to find her brother, becoming friends with a boy visiting his uncle next door, and mending the fractured friendship with her girl friends keep this novel humming along. Lots of laughs, plenty of puns about flowers and birds, and even a first-person narrative by the scout of the bee colony all provide the reader with an enjoyable novel about friendship, family and growing up. A unique story featuring a girl whose character changes from being self-centered and angry at her brother and mother to one who is capable of understanding the fears, needs and wishes of others.                           

Summary: Zinnia, an 8th grader, loves to knit. She makes a yarn bomb (like a tea cozy) for the school mascot statue and gets into trouble. Her older brother goes missing, she attracts a hive of bees, and her summer is one she will never forget.  Gr. 4-8   

Friendship, Bees, Mystery                                                  --Lois McNicol