105 Ways to Give a Book

Nonfiction Monday Host

Why, yes. I am the Nonfiction Monday host this week. Please leave your links in the comments and I’ll update this post during the day.

The Hive Detectives: Chronicle of a Honey Bee CatastropheFor my part, I’ll be talking about The Hive Detectives: Chronicle of a Honey Bee Catastrophe, by Loree Griffin Burns. I specifically didn’t use the word “review,” as I don’t think that I can fairly review a book that I’ve followed from the beginning research to book reviews to photo choices to title selection and onward to the publication celebration. I feel like I’ve watched this puppy grow up in front of me, and I’m just so darn proud.

Three years ago, I was vaguely interested in the whole disappearing bee thing, having seen an article or two about it. That curiosity corresponded nicely with the bee research on Loree’s blog. Intrigued, I took her book suggestion and read
Fruitless Fall, which has become one of my favorite nonfiction book recommendations. Since then I’ve been eagerly awaiting The Hive Detectives, wondering how to bring a topic to kids that seems obscure — at least in the standard nonfiction publications on dinosaurs, planets, and Abraham Lincoln. (I know, Lincoln books were sooo last year.)

As it turns out, you take the topic to kids by bringing them along on the research. Letting them meet a beekeeper, inspect a hive, visit an apiary, and autopsy a bee all through the magic of words and photography. And boy, is a photo of a cut-up bee magical. As readers begin to unravel the mysteries within Colony Collapse Disorder, they are gaining a general knowledge about bees, honey, and pollination. They are also learning about scientists and how they do research on difficult topics. It’s like two books in one! At the end of the book, the mystery of Colony Collapse Disorder remains unsolved, but the importance of bees — and science — is indisputable.

Now for your Nonfiction Monday Round-up:

Early Morning Edition:
  • Nonfiction author Connie Goldsmith returns as Guest Blogger at Word Playground to share some of her writing experiences, as well as a mosquito bite or two that will prompt you into active writing!
  • Look for a bunch of puberty books for boys over at Pink Me.
  • Read about Pelé, King of Soccer, by Monica Brown over at A Wrung Sponge.
  • They Called Themselves the K.K.K. is reviewed over at Bookish Blather.
  • Rasco from RIF re-read an older alphabet book that is a favorite of hers and of the children with whom she has shared it: The Accidental Zucchini, An Unexpected Alphabet, by Max Grover.
  • Take Just One Bite over at The Well-Read Child.

Noon Edition:
  • Visit Simply Science for You Can’t Wear These Genes, by Shirley Duke — her first nofiction book!
  • Looking for an exciting book for reports or pleasure reading? Check out the review of Captain Mac: The Life of Donald Baxter MacMillan, Arctic Explorer, by Mary Morton Cowan, at The Fourth Musketeer.
  • Fall is the perfect time for Zero is the Leaves on the Tree. Read about it at over at A Novel Idea.
  • Abby the Librarian is taking us Inside Tornadoes, by Mary Kay Carson.
  • Check out What Holds Us to Earth? A Look at Gravity, by Jennifer Boothroyd, at
    Wild About Nature
  • Get ready for the season of spooks and ghosts with The Halloween Book of Facts and Fun, by Wendie Old, at All About the Books with Janet Squires
  • And just so cool, the author of the book above has a review of her own of Orangutans are Ticklish with fun facts from an animal photographer at Wendie’s Wanderings.
  • Apparently Three Turtles and Their Pet Librarian have the text from these rhyming food group books stuck in their heads now. Curious?
  • Ah, science fair season. Perfect time to check out these books from the Science Fair Winners series from National Geographic at Wrapped in Foil.

Teatime Edition:
  • Bookends has two books to share: Blue Everywhere and Does an Apple a Day Keep the Doctor Away?
  • Looking at They Called Themselves the K.K.K.: The Birth of an American Terrorist Group at SLJ’s blog Practically Paradise.
  • It’s all about Disasters! over at Biblio File.
  • And Charlotte’s Library goes Supernatural.

Nightcap Edition:
  • With Halloween just around the corner, it's a perfect time for Steve Jenkins' book, Bones as reviewed at Books Together.

Links to material on Amazon.com contained within this post may be affiliate links for the Amazon Associates program, for which this site may receive a referral fee.

22 comments:

Andromeda Jazmon said...

The Bee book looks fascinating! I will have to look for it. I used to enjoy reading the book Ned Kelly and the City of the Bees by Thomas Keneally with first graders and they loved it.
I am in with a post about Pele King of Soccer by Monica Brown. Thanks for hosting!

Unknown said...

What an interesting sounding book - and it's kind of cool you've been able to follow it from research to publication!

Today, I'm reviewing They Called Themselves the K.K.K. at Bookish Blather

Carol H Rasco said...

I have been intrigued by the bee book as I come upon the various articles discussing it; your post is a special one, thank you; as well as "thank you" for hosting Nonfiction Monday this week!

I re-read an older alphabet book that is a favorite of mine and children with whom I have shared it: The Accidental Zucchini, An Unexpected Alphabet by Max Grover.
http://www.rascofromrif.org/?p=13000

Happy Reading, happy week to all!

Unknown said...

I think my little one would really enjoy The Hive Detectives, especially the photo of the cut-up bee.

Thanks so much for hosting! I'm sharing Just One Bite over at The Well-Read Child. http://wellreadchild.blogspot.com/2010/10/just-one-bite-by-lola-schaefer.html

:paula said...

Is the bee book one of those Scientists in the Field books? That series has yet to produce anything but fantastic NF. At this point I'm ordering them for my libraries sight unseen, and I hardly ever do that.

Anonymous said...

I am writing about the strangeness of real life, as I teach and run a boarding school library in Africa . . .

Unknown said...

Thank you for hosting today. I have You Can't Wear These Genes by Shirley Duke--that's me! My first nofiction book! It's at SimplyScience here:
http://simplyscience.wordpress.com/2010/10/13/you-cant-wear-these-genes/

Fourth Musketeer said...

Hi, today I have a review of a biography for young people: Captain Mac: The Life of Donald Baxter MacMillan, Arctic Explorer, by Mary Morton Cowan. This is an exciting book for reports of pleasure reading.
Here's the link:
http://fourthmusketeer.blogspot.com/2010/10/nonfiction-monday-book-review-captain.html

Thanks for hosting!

Mary Elizabeth said...

Thanks for hosting!! I review 'Zero is the Leaves on the Tree' over at my blog, A Novel Idea.
Link: http://a-novel-idea-by-maryelizabeth.blogspot.com/2010/10/nonfiction-monday-3-zero-is-leaves-on.html

Abby said...

I loved THE HIVE DETECTIVES! Which is amazing because I'm pretty much terrified of bees. :)

Today for NFM, I've got a review of INSIDE TORNADOES by Mary Kay Carson.

Thanks for hosting!

Unknown said...

We have a review of What Holds Us to Earth? A Look at Gravity by Jennifer Boothroyd at Wild About Nature blog.

http://wildaboutnaturewriters.blogspot.com/2010/10/nonfiction-monday-what-holds-us-to.html

Thanks for hosting this week!

Bees are such fascinating little creatures!

Janet Squires said...

Thanks for hosting.
My selection is The Halloween Book of Facts and Fun, written by Wendie Old and illustrated by Paige Billin-Frye.

Wendie O said...

Thanks Janet, for reviewing my Halloween book. It was fun to write.

My review today at Wendie's Wanderings is Orangutans are Ticklish, fun facts from an animal photographer.

http://blog.wendieold.com/2010/10/nonfiction-monday-orangutans-are.html

-wendie old

Three Turtles and Their Pet Librarian said...

Thanks for hosting! We have the text from these rhyming food group books stuck in our head now...

http://3tnar.blogspot.com/2010/10/nonfiction-monday-lerners-food-is.html

Roberta said...

Hive Dectectives is definitely a great book. I'm glad it go nominated for a Cybils.

I have to books from the Science Fair Winners series from National Geographic today at http://blog.wrappedinfoil.com/2010/10/two-science-fair-winners-from-national-geographic/
just in time for science fair season.

Thanks for hosting!

Lynn Rutan said...

Coming in late today! Bookends @http://bookends.booklistonline.com
is reviewing two books, Blue Everywhere by Kristin Sterling and Does an Apple a Day Keep the Doctor Away?

Thanks for hosting!

DianeRChen Kelly said...

http://blog.schoollibraryjournal.com/practicallyparadise/2010/10/18/they-called-themselves-the-k-k-k-the-birth-of-an-american-terrorist-group/

Today I am focusing upon They Called Themselves the K.K.K.: The Birth of an American Terrorist Group at SLJ's blog Practically Paradise.

Jennie said...

Thanks for hosting Pam!

I'm in this week with a book on Disasters! And checked out Hive Detectives to read tonight.

http://www.jenrothschild.com/2010/10/nonfiction-monday-disasters.html

Charlotte said...

Hi Pam!

I'm in with Supernatural, from DK.

http://charlotteslibrary.blogspot.com/2010/10/supernatural-from-dk-for-non-fiction.html

thanks!

Anamaria (bookstogether) said...

Thanks for hosting! And I know you'll appreciate another example of faulty reporting from the New York Times, who recently and apparently prematurely reported that the bee crisis is solved (http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/07/science/07bees.html?_r=1).

I'm in with a review of Steve Jenkins's Bones. Boo!
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/07/science/07bees.html?_r=1

Thanks again!

Anonymous said...

Sounds like an interesting book, thanks!

Unknown said...

I'm so happy you blogged about The Hive Detectives...at my work, it was one of the employee book club selections. You could tell we all really enjoyed the book because there were non-stop facts being shouted out throughout our discussion. I love that a science topic could be so well explained without the intimidation of academic jargon. What a great classroom resource!