Diversity is our middle name! My English students hail from a myriad of backgrounds, cultures, and walks of life and range in proficiency from emerging English learners to honors-bound students, many with special education needs. We are in search of materials that reflect our many perspectives and experiences.
High school is time of self-exploration and an opportunity to foster self-awareness. It's a period in which students focus on learning about who they are and on making sense of the world in which they live. The Secret Life of Bees contains a treasure trove of life lessons and support this exploration, while providing an intriguing tale told in artful prose. The book also pairs beautifully with Harper Lee's time-honored novel To Kill a Mockingbird, also set during the Civil Rights Movement and told from the perspective of a child trying to make sense of it all.
Author Sue Monk Kidd writes, "Bee yard etiquette: ... the world is really one big bee yard, and the same rules work fine in both places: Don't be afraid, as no life-loving bee wants to sting you. Still, don't be an idiot; wear long sleeves and long pants. Don't swat. Don't even think about swatting. If you feel angry, whistle. Anger agitates, while whistling melts a bee's temper. Act like you know what you're doing, even if you don't. Above all, send the bees love. Every little thing wants to be loved."
Our school faces a huge budgetary crisis as a result of the local/national economic downturn. Current constraints do not allow for replacement or repair of titles we already possess, and there is simply no money for additional titles, even ones that would benefit the English program.
Some schools request students purchase individual titles, however many of my students have recently lost their homes or have families struggling just to make ends meet. I can't imagine asking students and parents to purchase books given current conditions.
From Library Journal:
This sweeping debut novel, excerpts of which have appeared in Best American Short Stories, tells the tale of a 14-year-old white girl named Lily Owen who is raised by the elderly African American Rosaleen after the accidental death of Lily's mother. Following a racial brawl in 1960s Tiburon, SC, Lily and Rosaleen find shelter in a distant town with three black bee-keeping sisters. The sisters and their close-knit community of women live within the confines of racial and gender bondage and yet have an unmistakable strength and serenity associated with the worship of a black Madonna and the healing power of honey. In a series of unforgettable events, Lily discovers the truth about her mother's past and the certainty that "the hardest thing on earth is choosing what matters." The stunning metaphors and realistic characters are so poignant that they will bring tears to your eyes.
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