About BC Books Online
BC Books Online was created for anyone interested in BC-published books, and with librarians especially in mind. We'd like to make it easy for library staff to learn about books from BC publishers - both new releases and backlist titles - so you can inform your patrons and keep your collections up to date.
Our site features print books and ebooks - both new releases and backlist titles - all of which are available to order through regular trade channels. Browse our subject categories to find books of interest or create and export lists by category to cross-reference with your library's current collection.
A quick tip: When reviewing the "Browse by Category" listings, please note that these are based on standardized BISAC Subject Codes supplied by the books' publishers. You will find additional selections, grouped by theme or region, in our "BC Reading Lists."
Description
All over the world, bee colonies are dwindling, but everyone can do something to help save the bees, from buying local honey to growing a bee-friendly garden.
Whether they live alone or together, in a hive or in a hole in the ground, bees do some of the most important work on the planet: pollinating plants. What’s the Buzz? celebrates the magic of bees—from swarming to dancing to making honey—and encourages readers to do their part to keep the hives alive.
Recommended Age, Grade, and Reading Levels
- Age:
- 9 to 12
- Grade:
- 4 to 7
- Reading age:
- 9 to 12
Awards
- , Young Readers' Choice Book Awards of British Columbia (YRCABC) Red Cedar Book Awards
- Short-listed, Rocky Mountain Book Award (RMBA)
- Short-listed, The Fitzhenry Family Foundation Lane Anderson Award
- Short-listed, Animal Behavior Society Outstanding Children’s Book Award
- Short-listed, Vancouver Children’s Literature Roundtable Information Book Award
- Commended, CCBC Best Books for Kids & Teens
- Commended, Junior Library Guild (JLG) Gold Standard Selection
Editorial Reviews
"The interest that Merrie-Ellen Wilcox has in bees and her concern about their future comes through in all aspects of the text...What’s the Buzz? is a well-written overview of bees which shows how important they are as well as the perils that bees face and what people can do to help bee populations survive. Highly Recommended."
— CM Magazine
"Lots of excellent pictures accompany an easily accessible and attractive format loaded with essential and interesting information about bees...An excellent resource for research projects but should also be a must read to inform everyone about the plight of bees and how essential they are to life on earth."
— Youth Services Book Reviews blog
"[A] thorough and fascinating look at these insects...Wilcox, who describes her own foray into beekeeping in the introduction, raises and answers...questions in easy prose. Great photos of kids, bees, and hives enhance the text...A useful option for science teachers and students curious about bees and ecology."
— School Library Journal
"A cheery introduction to honeybees and their wild cousins. Wilcox covers a lot of territory in a brief book, notably including quite a lot of information about bumblebees and other undomesticated bees as well as a healthy helping of facts about honeybees...Wilcox's tone is upbeat...[and] her enthusiasm for her subject is both genuine and infectious."
— Kirkus Reviews
"Beautifully presented, this text will fascinate both young readers and adults alike...Highly recommended for an elementary school library resource centre."
— Resource Links
"Written by an experienced apiculturist, this book is an introduction to the basics of bee physiology and behavior, dispelling many common myths of this ubiquitous insect. Wilcox celebrates the incredible diversity of bee species and the products that they provide...This eye-opening book is a call to action, encouraging kids to plant flower gardens, support local farms, and raise awareness of the mysterious plight of disappearing bees. Full-color close-up photos and helpful diagrams add plenty of visual appeal."
— Booklist
"Keeping bees in flight is thoroughly explained in this well-written book about the life and times of bees. In each of the four chapters, the author examines how the 20,000 known species of bees live, survive, and keep fruits and plants growing...Bee enthusiasts will find this book to be an easy, quick read. The photographs and illustrations are timely and vibrant. Children will discover new and old facts that will help them keep bees in flight."
— School Library Connection
