Regarding the Bees: A Lesson, in Letters, on Honey, Dating, and Other Sticky Subjects by Klise Kate (2007-08-01) Hardcover

Regarding the... #5

by M. Sarah Klise

The seventh graders at Geyser Creek Middle School are bee yond stressed. They're preparing for a spelling bee and a horrible standardized test called the BEE (Basic Education Evaluation). Plus, this year the hunt for their honeys has become all-important. It's a good thing they have Honey, a bee that spells (yes, really !), as their class pet--and one fabulous teacher named Florence Waters. Sweet! The fifth book in the Regarding the . . . series takes the sting out of spelling bees, standardized tests, and even dating. Using letters, newspapers, and whatever else strikes their fancy, the Klise sisters have again created a book that spells J-U-S-T P-L-A-I-N F-U-N.

Genres: Fiction, Middle Grade, Humor, Childrens, Realistic Fiction, Young Adult, Fantasy

Unknown Binding

First published August 1, 2007

Reviews

[Amita · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was nervous about this book but I shouldn't have been. I should have trusted in my bestie florence more tbh that's my bad. the whole dating aspect of the plot was handled so excellently, better than what I hoped and WAY better than what I expected.
"Life is not about who you're with but who you are." and she ate that!

2023 popsugar reading challenge: A book set in the decade you were born

[Matthew Winner · Rating 2 out of 5]

NO for black-eyed susan.
NO for our library.

I loved the concept of telling a story through letters, but this one just didn't do the trick. They were too many things I just couldn't buy into...

...a handful of students corresponding regularly to their substitute via letters
...a teacher who couldn't catch on the "BEEs" are a state assessment the school is preparing for
...a couple of middle schoolers so caught up in their feelings for one another that they would write to a teacher they don't know for advice
...a substitute teacher who could get away with doing *nothing* with her class for weeks on end, all approved by the county's department of education

Oh well.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

What's the buzz at Geyser Creek Middle School? One word l-o-v-e. The seventh graders are all searching for their sweeties, which makes it tough to concentrate on the upcoming BEE ( basic education evaluation ) But if the students fail this important standardized test, they'll have to-horrors!-start middle school all over again. Too unbelievable to be true? Oh honey, just wait until you read the rest of the story!

[Darla · Rating 5 out of 5]

An upcoming Spelling Bee and standardized test called the BEE(Basic Education Evaluation) become confused with the real bee(named Honey) that Florence Waters sends to the 7th grade class. With Ms. Waters subbing remotely from California and other exotic locales, there is much potential for miscommunication and puns to proliferate. Readers will learn about bees while also observing the mystery of a class in another city who seems to dominate in the Spelling Bee yet has horrible spelling in their correspondence. Here are some of my favorite punny names: Benny Bob "B.B." King -- Director of the Basic Education Evaluation, Horace Fly, and Polly Nader. 🐝😍

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

After feeling some reluctance to read a book full of letters, this story enchanted me as much as Regarding the Fountain that I’d read several years ago.
You simply have to roll with the pins and dramatics, which matches middle school accurately, to enjoy the story of spelling, bee keeping, jr high romance and social dynamics along with a tale that gives some solid life lessons. Far fetched in the real world of education, but entertaining nonetheless.

The reader learns to:
Be calm
Be yourself
Be curious
Be willing to take a risk
Believe in yourself
Be the person you want to be
Quoted from Florence Waters, the story’s substitute teacher

[Debra · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am actually sad to see this series end. I so enjoyed the miscommunication caused by puns. I so loved the honey bee name Honey that could spell. Never saw that end plot line with the bee coming. So much fun! I do recommend that you read this series on order. Just dropping into this book could bee confusing with so many characters who have been developing their personalities and growing up in many ways in the previous books.

[Cassie G · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kate Klise visited my elementary school on her tour upon the release of this book & signed me a copy of "Regarding the Bees" (my first signed book in my collection). This book is one of my all-time favorites & contributed to my love for bees :')

[Betsy · Rating 5 out of 5]

SO clever! I absolutely love the letter writing to tell the story and the double meanings are so clever.

[Kathleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

A literal correspondence class - the seventh graders get all their assignments by mail! Puns and bee facts abound, as well as some spelling lessons and the traditional uncovering of a nefarious plot.

[Lauryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a cute and quick read.

[Kira · Rating 4 out of 5]

#TBRKnockout

It was cute. More of the same.

[Brian · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Elizabeth Grace · Rating 4 out of 5]

little grace loved

[Kayla Zabcia]

DNF; page 17

too many POV with introductions that were too short to be memorable; way too difficult to keep track of the characters

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

So clever and entertaining with a touch of wisdom for us all. Really enjoy this series!

[JM · Rating 4 out of 5]

My favorite book series as a child! It’s fun to come back to these after so long. I’m catching a lot more of the puns, irony, and humor :)

[Katie Fitzgerald · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wally Russ is away from school for the semester, and Sam N. has been asked to fill in as acting principal, leaving a vacancy in the sixth grade classroom. Everyone is excited by the idea of inviting Florence Waters to take Sam’s place, but Florence will only agree to teach the students in a correspondence class. Though the kids are thrilled to work with their friend, they are also nervous about the upcoming BEE, or Basic Education Evaluation, exams, as well as the spelling bee in which another local middle school has invited them to participate. While the students fret about the BEEs and work on caring for actual beehives, they also try to sort out their crushes on various classmates, while Sam N. tries to save his failing marriage to the school secretary with whom he now shares an office.

Regarding the Bees is the final book in the Regarding series, and for the most part, I think it sends the series out on a high note. Gone, finally, are the water-themed jokes that seemed so forced and tired in Regarding the Bathrooms, and instead, the reader is treated to storylines involving “honeys”, ear wax, spelling bees, hive hairdos, and of course, a commentary on standardized testing. As opposed to the criminal activity the kids uncovered in the last book, this time around it is a spelling bee cheating scandal that they must solve, and an attention-hungry teacher, not a felon, whom they must take down. Though this story doesn’t necessarily wrap everything up in a series finale sort of way, it does bring closure to each of the main relationships the reader has followed throughout all five books, and the reader leaves Geyser Creek Middle School feeling pretty satisfied with what the future will likely hold.

Reading the books in this series one right after the other as I have has caused me to grow a bit weary of the puns and the format of the books, but this story comes out as one of the strongest of the five. Overall, I do recommend this series, especially to readers who like a more visual reading experience, and to those who are happy to laugh along with more than a few groan-worthy puns. For a taste of something new and different by Kate and M. Sarah Klise, check out their most recent series, Three-Ring Rascals.

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book

[Emeebee]

A sweet book full of puns, bees, and the importance of communication and community. And for all the various fonts and speakers the narrative flowed smoothly.

[H. Givens · Rating 3 out of 5]

I still enjoy the over-the-top style, and I still love Florence and her approach to life! Her clever ways of encouraging the students to organically learn about their own problems and learn how to solve them. I liked the casual way it approached healthy middle-school dating, too. How kids may want to date or they may not, and how to communicate. That said, I didn't like the plot choices and resolutions here. The stereotypical husband-and-wife behavior was slightly irritating to begin with, but I really didn't like how the "Sam N. is going deaf" storyline happened. At first it was good, I liked how the kids were learning sign language to talk to the new custodian and then trying to teach Sam N., but there's a repeated assertion that Sam can't be a good husband and father if he can't hear. Instead of realizing that he can, it just turns out he's not actually deaf. The "witch hunt" element was similar -- it's just a side pun, really.

The book could've been great yet problematic, but it wasn't really great either -- not as good as some of the others in the series, and definitely not as good as the standalones Letters from Camp or Trial by Journal. Like I said, I still love Florence, and I really like the other recurring characters too, but I think it needed something extra to change it up from the previous books in the series.

[Samantha · Rating 4 out of 5]

The 7th graders are preparing for their BEEs (Basic Education Evaluations). Their substitute via correspondence is the fabulous fountain designer Florence Waters and she mistakes the BEEs for bees (the winged kind) and assigns the class all sorts of assignments that relate to the insects. If the class doesn't do well on the test they risk being sent back to 5th grade, but Florence's unconventional assignments prepare the kids for the test in ways no one could have predicted.

Meanwhile, the substitute principal, Mr. N., is having some communication issues and he believes he's losing his sense of hearing. He's months away from welcoming a new baby with his wife, Goldie the office secretary, but the issues stemming from his hearing loss are driving them apart.

Lastly, as the school prepares for a spelling bee, they find that their arch rivals and longstanding winners of the spelling bee may not be the fierce competitors that they appear to be. Likewise, the teacher who appears to be a shoo in for the HIVE teaching award may be up to a whole lot more than teaching.

This book written in letters, memos, flyers and more is a great read for grades 3-5

[Lacey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ok... so this book is about seventh graders at Geyser Creek Middle School and they have a spelling bee. If they dont win the spelling bee they will have to go back to the fifth grade. Thier substitute Mrs.Florence lives in California and is teaching the students by letters. She sends the kids a bee named Honey and she can spell her name "H-O-N-E-Y" in the air. But you will have to read the book to see if they win the spelling bee or not.

I loved this book so much. I love to read books by: Kate Klise. I am going to read more and more of her books until there is no more.

I recommend this book to kids that like a lesson in letters,on honey, dating, and other sticky subjects.

[Sheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sadly, this concludes my journey with the "Regarding the..." series. I was putting reading this as I wanted the magic to last longer but since I was in dire need for a quick easy read, I just had to! Discovering this through the sale bins was indeed a nice surprise. I love the letter correspondence, the personalized typography defining each character and illustrations. Though the story plot may at times be a bit far fetched, it's forgivable because of the lovely bizarre characters and it comes out absurdly hilarious. Another plus is the factual and informative lesson inserts tied into the plot. Overall, still highly satisfied with this read. Truly one of my guilty comfort reads!

[Roxann · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the only book in the series from this author that I have read. What a fun book! I was laughing at different parts throughout the book. The whole book is written in letter form. I enjoyed all the use of the word bee or be. The story takes place in a 7th grade classroom. The students are getting ready for the BEEs (a state test), but they have a sub teacher who lives in a different state. Thus the use of the letters. The sub appears to think the students are writing about real bees and not a test. The format is wonderful and fast. Young teens will enjoy this book.

[Sierra · Rating 5 out of 5]

A-M-A-Z-I-N-G. That's how Honey the honey bee would and I would describe this book. In the fifth book of the regarding series, the seventh graders have to get prepared for the dreaded BEEs (Basic Education Evaluation). Luckily, they have the designer, Florence Waters, as their new teacher, and a honey bee named Honey that can spell (do you now get why I did that at the top???). Out of all of these characters, Florence Waters has to be my favorite. She has sooo many cool ideas, and she is sooo nice!

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Geyser Creek seventh graders are going through a who-likes-who stage, and with only two boys and four girls in the class, emotions are getting intense. Their regular teacher, Sam N., is acting principal, and having trouble communicating with his new wife, who is also the school secretary. Fortunately, the substitute teacher (by mail) is none other than Florence Waters, fountain designer, detective, and friend to all. Another delightful book in this series.

[Luke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this one! :) I've been a big fan of the "Regarding the..." series since I found "Regarding the Trees" in the library two years ago. Comparing this one to the others: probably the best one, either close first or tied with "Regarding the Bathrooms: A Privy to the Past". Downright amazing, definitely put this one on your list!

[NewFranklin School · Rating 5 out of 5]

Regarding the bees is a very good book so far.
The main character Florence waters is substituting Mr.Sam n.'s 7th grade class from California and her class is doing a spelling bee against another class in Springfield, the class in springfeild thinks there better than everyone!
if you want to find out what happens read the book!

[Kellie · Rating 2 out of 5]

A book I came across at work and it looked like it would be a fun read. Meh. More like an annoying read. The characters were fine, but the constant bee puns were aggravating. I had a hard time reading some of the text of the letters, due to hard-to-read fonts. There were a couple of places I did laugh out loud, so this one gets two stars.

[Karin · Rating 3 out of 5]

another in sequence that started with regarding the fountain. still same class of kids (now in 7th grade). this time sam n. is principal and flo waters is subbing (thru correspondence). fun but just more of the same.