Last Updated on January 13, 2023 by ellen
It’s not easy to get kids to understand the importance of our environment. After all, it’s just a flower or only a bird. It can be difficult for kids to see how all of our environment is tied together and how it impacts our lives and the world as a whole. Thankfully, there is a new trend in young adult fiction called environmental fiction where authors use stories to portray ideas about how important our environment is. 
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Bees on the Roof by Robbie Shell
Sam needs to find a seventh-grade science fair project and a way to save the restaurant where his father works. When he enrolls three friends in an effort to raise bees on a hotel roof in New York City, the complications multiply. Bee sting allergies, a great bee die-off, a rival team’s cheating, a mysteriously reclusive science teacher, and Sam’s romantic feelings for a classmate make the bee project anything but simple. This story includes lots of facts about bees and Colony Collapse Disorder.
My thoughts:
Sam and his friends need a science project that will win the science fair and settle on the topic of Colony Collapse Disorder. Sam also hopes that this project will help save the restaurant where his father works. The group decides to set up beehives on the roof of the restaurant in New York City. The process isn’t as simple as they think and they need to research what’s involved, set up the hives, and deal with a variety of issues that come up during the process.
I’ve always been fascinated by CCD and the causes and impact on our environment. It can be a difficult subject to discuss with other adults let alone with kids. For some, it’s hard to see how losing bees can have an impact on our entire society from the food we eat to the clothes we wear to the way we live. Since this is a book geared toward middle school readers, the kids also have to deal with bullying, cheating, romance, and growing up. When you combine the two, this book is a great way to help kids understand and care about the issue of Colony Collapse Disorder.
Bees on the Roof is available on Amazon.
Ellen is a mom of a 25-year-old son and 30-year-old daughter. She is Grandma to one adorable toddler. In what little spare time she has, she loves to read, watch movies, and check out the latest toys and games.