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Minneapolis, MN; Millbrook Press, 2014.

This one truly is a mystery, and a bit of a scary one, too.  The Case of the Vanishing Honeybees opens with a beekeeper checking his hives, only to find them empty of worker bees.  On honey colored pages, Markle goes on to explain why honeybees are important, describes the bees' duties inside and outside the hive, and investigates the array of culprits  that could be contributing to the demise of the hives.   The reader gets a lesson on the important role the honeybee plays in polination and food creation, bringing us to the reasons a healthy honeybee population is important to a healthy human population.

The text is packed full of information but is presented in a narrative style, so it is not so dense that it is intimidating.  In addition to the content, the crystal clear photographs work with the honey comb-shaped caption boxes to make this a first-rate addition to a school library collection of any level.

Dewey:  595.799

Interest Level:  Grades 5-8.         Interest Level: Grades 4-7

CCSS:  Narrative Non-fiction for Science and Technical Subjects - Middle School - English Language Arts and Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science and Technical Subjects.

Younger readers might like:  The Life and Times of the Honeybee by Charles Micucci.

Older readers might like:  The Hive Detectives:  Chronicle of a Honeybee Catastrophe by Loree Griffin Burns.

Fiction pairing:  The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd.

New York: Disney Hyperion Books, 2012.

For those still skeptical of graphic novels, this version of the Helen Keller and Annie Sullivan story for upper elementary and middle school grades may be your conversion.  Most of the story is told from Annie Sullivan's point of view and reveals some heartbreaking details about her life leading up to her position in the Keller household.  The panels of the story shown in grays and browns, however, are Helen's perspective.  Those simple drawings show us how it might feel to live in a dark, slilent world.  They give us a tiny inkling of what life was like for Helen, especially before she understood the concept of language.  Thanks to Annie, Helen's world changes from a frustrating black void to a world full of new people, things and concepts.  The story does not end there, though.  It goes on to describe one more trial for young Helen - being accused of plagiarism.

This is another graphic novel from the Center for Cartoon Studies who brought us Houdini: The Handcuff King, Satchel Paige: Striking out Jim Crow, Thoreau at Walden, and Amelia Earhart: This Broad Ocean.

CCSS:  High School & Middle School - ELA in History/Social Studies & Technical Subjects - Reading Standards for Literature - Literature in Other Forms.

Dewey:  362.4                                                              Interest:  Grades 5-8 and up

Awards/Reviews:  ALA Top Ten Great Graphic Novels for Teens - 2013; Booklist Starred; Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books; Hornbook; Kirkus Review; Library Media Connection Starred; School Library Journal.

Younger readers may like:  Helen Keller's Best Friend Belle by Holly Barry.

High School students may like:  Blind Rage:  Letters to Helen Keller by Georgina Kleege.

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