Title: The Secret Life of Bees
Illustrator: N/A
Readability Score: 7.2
Theme: the power of female community
Genre: Fiction
Sub genre: Historical
Primary and secondary characters: Lily is the primary character and the secondary characters are her nanny, her father (T-Ray), August Boatright, Rosaleen Daise, Deborah Fontanel, Zachary Taylor, June Boatright, Mary Boatright
Awards: N/A
Publishing Company: Viking Penguin
Date of Publication: 2003
ISBN: 9780142001745
Summary: This book is about a young girl, named Lily, who is fourteen years old. She experiences many trials in her life. Her mother is killed in an accidental gun shooting, where Lily is blamed for the death by her father. He is abusive to Lily and hateful. This book is set in the 1960s and takes the audience into a perspective on what it is like to be African American in the south during that time. Lily and her nanny, who is African American, decide to run away from home and head to the south. There she is welcomed into the home of the Boatrights as they teach her how to keep bees and help her work through her problems with her father. Throughout the book Lily experiences the grief of her mother's death and how her father blames her. T-Ray discovers their location and he tries to take her back, but Lily is confused while the Boatrights' convince her that staying in the home in South Carolina is the best.
This book is another great book for a book club discussion. Students can see from a young girl's perspective on how bullying and abuse can affect them. They may be able to relate to Lily's character and see that in the end, she is able to resolve feelings towards her mother and father. Student's can discuss themes and main topics throughout the book in depth. It also can provide a historical point of view for readers to see how times were in the 1960s for African Americans.
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