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Beeline: What Spelling Bees Reveal About Generation Z's New Path to Success
An anthropologist uses spelling bees as a lens to examine the unique and diverse traits of Generation Z--and why they are destined for success
At first glance, Generation Z (youth born after 1997) seems to be made up of anxious overachievers, hounded by Tiger Moms and constantly tracked on social media. One would think that competitors in the National Spelling Bee -- the most popular brain sport in America -- would be the worst off. Counterintuitively, anthropologist Shalini Shankar argues that, far from being simply overstressed and overscheduled, Gen Z spelling bee competitors are learning crucial twenty-first-century skills from their high-powered lives, displaying a sophisticated understanding of self-promotion, self-direction, and social mobility. Drawing on original ethnographic research, including interviews with participants, judges, and parents, Shankar examines the outsize impact of immigrant parents and explains why Gen Z kids are on a path to success.
At first glance, Generation Z (youth born after 1997) seems to be made up of anxious overachievers, hounded by Tiger Moms and constantly tracked on social media. One would think that competitors in the National Spelling Bee -- the most popular brain sport in America -- would be the worst off. Counterintuitively, anthropologist Shalini Shankar argues that, far from being simply overstressed and overscheduled, Gen Z spelling bee competitors are learning crucial twenty-first-century skills from their high-powered lives, displaying a sophisticated understanding of self-promotion, self-direction, and social mobility. Drawing on original ethnographic research, including interviews with participants, judges, and parents, Shankar examines the outsize impact of immigrant parents and explains why Gen Z kids are on a path to success.
336 pages, Hardcover
First published April 30, 2019
About the author
Shalini Shankar
6 books12 followersShalini Shankar is Professor of Anthropology and Asian American Studies at Northwestern University. Her expertise and interests include youth, language, media, race & ethnicity, South Asian diaspora, and Asian American Studies.
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May 2, 2019This was a great listen and Shankar performs her own book.
On the surface, this is a book about spelling bees in America, including the most well-known one, Scripps, as well as South Asian spelling bees that exist beyond the big one. It's about how this brain sport is broadcast on ESPN, how young people prepare, and how much buzz there is for the kids involved.
But it's more than that: this is an intersectional look at generation Z and the incredible lives they're living, building their human capital at astonishing -- and I'd say terrifying! -- rates. Shankar is great about highlighting why it is that South Asian American kids have been such a force in spelling bees in the last few years, digging into the history of immigration in America and how today's youngest generation comes from immigrant parents who were specifically recruited for their brain power and how, despite this, they're experiencing unprecedented and utterly unsurprising racism for their talents.
At times I felt Millennials got short shrift in terms of critical discussion, particularly when it comes to the fact that they/we were screwed and left behind because of our boomer parents, but the way the book digs into spelling bees, history, and the youngest generation -- whatever they are, which is itself discussed -- makes up for that. I will be curious of she furthers this research, particularly as it relates to why today's young people have such high rates of anxiety. The pressure to Be and To Take Advantage and To Build Human Capital is absolutely crushing them while also catapulting them to succeess.
On the surface, this is a book about spelling bees in America, including the most well-known one, Scripps, as well as South Asian spelling bees that exist beyond the big one. It's about how this brain sport is broadcast on ESPN, how young people prepare, and how much buzz there is for the kids involved.
But it's more than that: this is an intersectional look at generation Z and the incredible lives they're living, building their human capital at astonishing -- and I'd say terrifying! -- rates. Shankar is great about highlighting why it is that South Asian American kids have been such a force in spelling bees in the last few years, digging into the history of immigration in America and how today's youngest generation comes from immigrant parents who were specifically recruited for their brain power and how, despite this, they're experiencing unprecedented and utterly unsurprising racism for their talents.
At times I felt Millennials got short shrift in terms of critical discussion, particularly when it comes to the fact that they/we were screwed and left behind because of our boomer parents, but the way the book digs into spelling bees, history, and the youngest generation -- whatever they are, which is itself discussed -- makes up for that. I will be curious of she furthers this research, particularly as it relates to why today's young people have such high rates of anxiety. The pressure to Be and To Take Advantage and To Build Human Capital is absolutely crushing them while also catapulting them to succeess.
September 14, 2019
Current read, though it's annoying me so much I might not finish it. The parts of the book that work are the ones where she focuses on Indian American spelling bee culture, but the second she starts writing about generational traits, it becomes hackneyed tripe about millennials and participation trophies and how Gen Z is totally different, even though half the spelling bee kids she writes about are millennials. It seems like what she really wanted to do was write about Indian American spelling bee kids, but had to tie it to writing about Gen Z to get the National Science Foundation cultural anthropology funding she used for the research, and did a bad job of tying it together. I keep debating whether to continue reading for the parts that are actually good, or drop it because the parts where she talks about Gen X, Millennials and Gen Z are so painfully shallow lazy stereotypes.
Not to mention that she says she's using the spelling bee to look at larger trends in American Gen Z culture, but then she only looks at children of college educated white people and children of Indian immigrants. Black and Latinx kids are invisible, and so are East Asian kids. Which somewhat accurately reflects the demographics of the National Spelling Bee, but doesn't remotely reflect the demographics of Gen Z as a whole, and demonstrates why looking at the Bee and extrapolating out to the generation as a whole is a losing proposition to begin with.
Not to mention that she says she's using the spelling bee to look at larger trends in American Gen Z culture, but then she only looks at children of college educated white people and children of Indian immigrants. Black and Latinx kids are invisible, and so are East Asian kids. Which somewhat accurately reflects the demographics of the National Spelling Bee, but doesn't remotely reflect the demographics of Gen Z as a whole, and demonstrates why looking at the Bee and extrapolating out to the generation as a whole is a losing proposition to begin with.
August 29, 2019
Shalini Shankar has described the contemporary Spelling Bee. She writes about the contestants, how they prepare, how they compete, what they do when they are "aged out" or otherwise leave the competition and how their participation affects their families. She shows how ESPN produces “Bee Week”. There is some discussion on the current Bee participants as part of a generation that is “assembling human capital” and building resumes before they become teens.
The book has organizational problems. An example is the description of generation Z which seems to appear in every chapter along with how it (and its parenting) is distinguished from other generations. Each mention is sprinkled with census data and/or quotes from researchers and/or references to popular culture. There is little depth.
Sometimes the scattered main points are presented again in the end with information that would have been key to understanding the topic. An example of this is subtitle about the professionalization of childhood. Information is scattered here and there, but it is not developed until the last chapter. Another example is why Indian-Americans are dominating the tournament. Answers are scattered here and there, but a very good discussion of this comes in the form of opinions from a number of sources - at the end. This would have been more helpful in the place where this dominance becomes obvious..
Similarly the role of coaches and costly learning systems comes at the end - after pages and pages that lead you to believe that preparation is either solitary and or a family project. Also at the end you learn of substantial 2nd, 3rd and 4th place prizes, when earlier text about shunning participation trophies and striving for the top seems to mean that “winning” means being #1 alone.
You learn a lot about how ESPN produces the tournaments, but almost nothing on how Scripps-Howard manages them. It is twice mentioned that Scripps has franchises in 7 other countries but other than naming the countries, nothing more is said.
The highlights, for me, were the descriptions of the contestants and their families and the direct quotes of the author’s interviews with the participants. The participants are shown to be devoted to Bee preparation, but the hours of this plus school work and their other activities exceed what seems to be time available. There is evidence of parental pressure.
I really liked that the author gives the words (with definitions) that won or lost a competition.
The value of this book is, however disorganized and incomplete, is in interviews with those who have been significant contestants and their families. I expect there is already a lot on the professionalization of childhood and there is surely a lot more to come of this topic. Perhaps someone will add to this work on Spelling Bees with a more comprehensive analysis.
The book has organizational problems. An example is the description of generation Z which seems to appear in every chapter along with how it (and its parenting) is distinguished from other generations. Each mention is sprinkled with census data and/or quotes from researchers and/or references to popular culture. There is little depth.
Sometimes the scattered main points are presented again in the end with information that would have been key to understanding the topic. An example of this is subtitle about the professionalization of childhood. Information is scattered here and there, but it is not developed until the last chapter. Another example is why Indian-Americans are dominating the tournament. Answers are scattered here and there, but a very good discussion of this comes in the form of opinions from a number of sources - at the end. This would have been more helpful in the place where this dominance becomes obvious..
Similarly the role of coaches and costly learning systems comes at the end - after pages and pages that lead you to believe that preparation is either solitary and or a family project. Also at the end you learn of substantial 2nd, 3rd and 4th place prizes, when earlier text about shunning participation trophies and striving for the top seems to mean that “winning” means being #1 alone.
You learn a lot about how ESPN produces the tournaments, but almost nothing on how Scripps-Howard manages them. It is twice mentioned that Scripps has franchises in 7 other countries but other than naming the countries, nothing more is said.
The highlights, for me, were the descriptions of the contestants and their families and the direct quotes of the author’s interviews with the participants. The participants are shown to be devoted to Bee preparation, but the hours of this plus school work and their other activities exceed what seems to be time available. There is evidence of parental pressure.
I really liked that the author gives the words (with definitions) that won or lost a competition.
The value of this book is, however disorganized and incomplete, is in interviews with those who have been significant contestants and their families. I expect there is already a lot on the professionalization of childhood and there is surely a lot more to come of this topic. Perhaps someone will add to this work on Spelling Bees with a more comprehensive analysis.
August 15, 2019
Intrigued by the success of South Asians in the National Spelling Bee, I was excited to see that an Indian American anthropology professor had recently published a book on the subject (this book was in the _new and exciting_ section of my library). Unfortunately, I was sorely disappointed.
While Shankar has clearly dived deep into the field, interviewing dozens of people and attending numerous competitions, the book is only interesting when her subjects get the chance to shine. The kids, parents, and media involved jump off the page when quoted directly. The kids especially are preternaturally poised, lucid, and honest. Shankar buries these gems in pages of repetitive, often uncritical prose summarizing popular books (sometimes multiple times - see her Deja-Vu-inducing summaries of Malcom Harris' book on Millenials in two different chapters) and hackneyed literature on "generations". Other than that children of immigrants are a significant demographic of the spelling bee and of Gen Z, it is unclear why the spelling bee is a good lens into Gen Z.
Overall, Beeline doesn't add much to the existing literature on spelling bees. The only perspective the author offers is that the investment of (largely immigrant) families into preparing their kids to compete in spelling bees is a transfer of human capital analogous to the white middle-class families transfer of financial capital through inheritance. This point is not well justified and feels tacked on to the body of the book.
Would not recommend.
While Shankar has clearly dived deep into the field, interviewing dozens of people and attending numerous competitions, the book is only interesting when her subjects get the chance to shine. The kids, parents, and media involved jump off the page when quoted directly. The kids especially are preternaturally poised, lucid, and honest. Shankar buries these gems in pages of repetitive, often uncritical prose summarizing popular books (sometimes multiple times - see her Deja-Vu-inducing summaries of Malcom Harris' book on Millenials in two different chapters) and hackneyed literature on "generations". Other than that children of immigrants are a significant demographic of the spelling bee and of Gen Z, it is unclear why the spelling bee is a good lens into Gen Z.
Overall, Beeline doesn't add much to the existing literature on spelling bees. The only perspective the author offers is that the investment of (largely immigrant) families into preparing their kids to compete in spelling bees is a transfer of human capital analogous to the white middle-class families transfer of financial capital through inheritance. This point is not well justified and feels tacked on to the body of the book.
Would not recommend.
December 9, 2019
Although I enjoyed this book and learned a lot about the culture surrounding the Spelling Bee (specifically as it applies to contestants from South Asian immigrant families), I think that it would've been a much better book had stayed in the realm of ethnography rather than venturing out, as the subtitle suggests, to make claims about "Generation Z's New Path to Success."
The author, Shalini Shankar, seems to have a pretty clear agenda beyond just researching and describing spelling bee contestants, and that's to legitimize what she refers to as "professionalizing childhoods." She makes much of the fact that seemingly every Gen Z kid is out there starting their own coaching business, building a personal brand on social media, and so on--the phrase "human capital" is used WAY too many times in this book for my taste--and although she occasionally references critics who wonder about how all of this affects young people's well-being, she generally returns to "well, that's just the way things are now" and leaves it there. It's a very uncomplicated look at this subculture.
Furthermore, Shankar takes a tiny minority of elite Gen Z kids and extrapolates this to the generation as a whole, which is particularly galling given the experiences she leaves out. She repeats numerous times how Gen Z is the most racially diverse generation ever and how there are so many immigrants and children of immigrants in it, but she's really only talking about a particular subset of highly-educated immigrants from one particular part of the world. There don't seem to be very many undocumented immigrants from Central America represented in the spelling bee, for instance, and certainly very few African Americans or African immigrants. (There is literally one sentence in the book that explicitly mentions the underrepresentation African American children in the spelling bee.) For every Gen Z kid recording a TED Talk or meeting with then-President Obama, there are tons trying to literally survive into adulthood and/or keep roofs over their heads.
Although Shankar profiles one or two kids who come from less economically privileged circumstance, the vast majority of the families she follows have degrees in STEM, and they have class privilege to uproot their entire lives to support their kids "spelling careers." Some even write customized software to help their kids study words. Which is all fine! That is totally fine to do, but it's irresponsible for researchers to act like these kids' success is completely a product of the parenting they received and of their generational traits while ignoring the role of class and education privilege.
(Needless to say, Shankar also does not grapple with, or mention beyond one sentence, the research on mental health outcomes for Gen Z and how they are...not great.)
Shankar does note the racism experienced by Indian American winners of the spelling bee, but curiously, even then her explanation is kind of surface-level: "The racist responses to Indian American champions are, in effect, a reaction to human capital building." (There it is again.) In other words, white people are racist towards Indian American spelling bee winners because they feel threatened and jealous by how skillfully their parents maneuver them to win, not because...you know, a centuries-long history of racism against southeast Asian people that includes colonialism, imperialist wars, Christian supremacism, assumptions of terrorist threats, and so on.
Anyway, things get even worse when Shankar tries to compare this small exceptional group of Gen Z kids to Millennials as a whole--specifically, to stereotypes about Millennials as a whole. Here are some actual quotes: "The spelling bee kids I met scoffed at participation trophies, regarding them as the useless landfill that they are. This differs from Millennials, who came to expect this kind of recognition." HAS THIS WRITER EVER MET A MILLENNIAL. We hated that shit, y'all. We hated it. You know who "expect[ed] this kind of recognition"? Our fucking Boomer parents, who couldn't handle the thought of little Johnny not getting a gold-painted plastic trophy for the living room shelf. Kids who grew up in the 90s knew this stuff was "useless landfill" from the start, and many of us now struggle with endless impostor syndrome because we don't trust others to actually be honest with us about our weaknesses and mistakes. But anyway.
Next there was this: "If Millennials valorize the self-absorption of Hannah Horvath from HBO's Girls, Gen Z aligns with Alex Dunphy from Modern Family. the former is lost in her own world of indulgent self-exploration and puts her dream career ahead of her financial stability. By contrast, the latter is hard-working, highly organized, and planning for her future."
Please find me one Millennial who "valorizes" Hannah Horvath. Please.
Anyway, I think that the major flaw in this book overall was that Shankar never really positions herself within her own argument and thus obstructs the fact that she has a metaphorical dog in this fight. Shankar clearly believes on some level that "Bee Parenting" is superior to other kinds and that the Gen Z kids being raised in this way are thus clearly superior to all those lazy, entitled Millennials who were allowed to, idk, play a fucking video game sometimes during their childhood rather than spend hours a day studying spelling bee words. She also implicitly dismisses any critiques of the way these kids are raised as racist (even referencing all that Tiger Mother stuff) without ever taking a nuanced look at the downsides as well as the advantages.
In conclusion, while I'm obviously extremely salty about the overgeneralizations in this book and the complete lack of any kind of critical look at any of this, it was definitely cool to learn about these kids and their legitimately amazing achievements.
The author, Shalini Shankar, seems to have a pretty clear agenda beyond just researching and describing spelling bee contestants, and that's to legitimize what she refers to as "professionalizing childhoods." She makes much of the fact that seemingly every Gen Z kid is out there starting their own coaching business, building a personal brand on social media, and so on--the phrase "human capital" is used WAY too many times in this book for my taste--and although she occasionally references critics who wonder about how all of this affects young people's well-being, she generally returns to "well, that's just the way things are now" and leaves it there. It's a very uncomplicated look at this subculture.
Furthermore, Shankar takes a tiny minority of elite Gen Z kids and extrapolates this to the generation as a whole, which is particularly galling given the experiences she leaves out. She repeats numerous times how Gen Z is the most racially diverse generation ever and how there are so many immigrants and children of immigrants in it, but she's really only talking about a particular subset of highly-educated immigrants from one particular part of the world. There don't seem to be very many undocumented immigrants from Central America represented in the spelling bee, for instance, and certainly very few African Americans or African immigrants. (There is literally one sentence in the book that explicitly mentions the underrepresentation African American children in the spelling bee.) For every Gen Z kid recording a TED Talk or meeting with then-President Obama, there are tons trying to literally survive into adulthood and/or keep roofs over their heads.
Although Shankar profiles one or two kids who come from less economically privileged circumstance, the vast majority of the families she follows have degrees in STEM, and they have class privilege to uproot their entire lives to support their kids "spelling careers." Some even write customized software to help their kids study words. Which is all fine! That is totally fine to do, but it's irresponsible for researchers to act like these kids' success is completely a product of the parenting they received and of their generational traits while ignoring the role of class and education privilege.
(Needless to say, Shankar also does not grapple with, or mention beyond one sentence, the research on mental health outcomes for Gen Z and how they are...not great.)
Shankar does note the racism experienced by Indian American winners of the spelling bee, but curiously, even then her explanation is kind of surface-level: "The racist responses to Indian American champions are, in effect, a reaction to human capital building." (There it is again.) In other words, white people are racist towards Indian American spelling bee winners because they feel threatened and jealous by how skillfully their parents maneuver them to win, not because...you know, a centuries-long history of racism against southeast Asian people that includes colonialism, imperialist wars, Christian supremacism, assumptions of terrorist threats, and so on.
Anyway, things get even worse when Shankar tries to compare this small exceptional group of Gen Z kids to Millennials as a whole--specifically, to stereotypes about Millennials as a whole. Here are some actual quotes: "The spelling bee kids I met scoffed at participation trophies, regarding them as the useless landfill that they are. This differs from Millennials, who came to expect this kind of recognition." HAS THIS WRITER EVER MET A MILLENNIAL. We hated that shit, y'all. We hated it. You know who "expect[ed] this kind of recognition"? Our fucking Boomer parents, who couldn't handle the thought of little Johnny not getting a gold-painted plastic trophy for the living room shelf. Kids who grew up in the 90s knew this stuff was "useless landfill" from the start, and many of us now struggle with endless impostor syndrome because we don't trust others to actually be honest with us about our weaknesses and mistakes. But anyway.
Next there was this: "If Millennials valorize the self-absorption of Hannah Horvath from HBO's Girls, Gen Z aligns with Alex Dunphy from Modern Family. the former is lost in her own world of indulgent self-exploration and puts her dream career ahead of her financial stability. By contrast, the latter is hard-working, highly organized, and planning for her future."
Please find me one Millennial who "valorizes" Hannah Horvath. Please.
Anyway, I think that the major flaw in this book overall was that Shankar never really positions herself within her own argument and thus obstructs the fact that she has a metaphorical dog in this fight. Shankar clearly believes on some level that "Bee Parenting" is superior to other kinds and that the Gen Z kids being raised in this way are thus clearly superior to all those lazy, entitled Millennials who were allowed to, idk, play a fucking video game sometimes during their childhood rather than spend hours a day studying spelling bee words. She also implicitly dismisses any critiques of the way these kids are raised as racist (even referencing all that Tiger Mother stuff) without ever taking a nuanced look at the downsides as well as the advantages.
In conclusion, while I'm obviously extremely salty about the overgeneralizations in this book and the complete lack of any kind of critical look at any of this, it was definitely cool to learn about these kids and their legitimately amazing achievements.
September 17, 2019
This book is an anthtropological examination of the culture of spelling bees. She examines who paticipates, how they prepare, how families support their bee-crazed offspring, and how the bee operation works. Not a book for everyone but I love bees and this book answered all my questions.
March 16, 2019
I will never forget how excited I was when, as a young newspaper reporter at the Decatur Herald & Review, I learned I would be chronicling the journey of our outstanding local speller, Yasir Hasnain, at the 2013 Scripps National Spelling Bee in New Harbor, Maryland.
From seeing the historic sites of Washington, D.C., and accompanying Yasir and his family to both his vocabulary test and to his live rounds onstage, I couldn’t get over how amazing the experience was. The Maryland Ballroom at the Gaylord Resort and Convention Center was beautiful, and the atmosphere was electric as kids stepped up to the microphone and did what they absolutely loved.
While Yasir was poised onstage and spelled both of his words correctly, his vocabulary test score wasn’t high enough to qualify him for semifinals. He missed it by just two points.
I hadn’t thought about that experience in years, but as I read Shalini Shankar’s Beeline: What Spelling Bees Reveal About Generation Z’s New Path to Success,” I could feel that excitement all over again.
In this fascinating and well-researched ethnography, Shankar – a professor of anthropology and Asian American studies at Northwestern University – delves into the culture of spelling bees and uses it as a means of examining the traits of Generation Z.
From attending the National Spelling Bee from 2013-2018, the South Asian Spelling Bee, North South Foundation Spelling Bee and several regional bees, Shankar is well-versed in the culture of spelling bees, and it shows in her book. And while Beeline is full of statistics and findings, Shankar weaves in her research amidst the personal and engaging stories and experiences of several nationally-known spellers, such as Amber Born, Kate Miller, Shreyas Parab, Vanya Shivashankar and Gokul Venkatachalam.
From examining their study habits and drive to succeed, to observing how involved and supportive the families of Generation Z children are when it comes to spelling bee preparation and the cultivation of human capital, Shankar allows readers to see “what spelling bees reveal about Generation Z kids and how we can better understand childhood success through the lens of spellers who compete at an elite level.”
Whether dedicating hours a day to spelling bee study and preparation, making their mark as young entrepreneurs or striving for career and professional success at an increasingly young age, Shankar notes that “Gen Zers seek out opportunities rather than expecting things to be handed to them.”
Striving for inclusivity in her study, Shankar examines Indian-American communities and how they have impacted American culture, from producing many of the recent bee champions and emphasizing grit, determination and hard work, to influencing parenting styles.
Additionally, Shankar provides readers with a good history of spelling bees, noting that what was once a small, traditional schoolroom competition has now evolved into a televised event that is not only highly-watched on ESPN, but also has quite a following social media, making these spellers into “spellebrities.”
This was such an interesting and engaging read. I loved learning about the lives, study habits, spelling bee experiences and career aspirations of the many spellers she interviewed, as well as learning about the history of the bee, the impact of South Asian Americans in the United States, and what happens behind the scenes of the Scripps National Spelling Bee.
Thank you to Netgalley and Basic Books for early access to this book in exchange for an honest review. If you’re a fan of the spelling bee or simply want to know more about these talented, hardworking kids, give this book a read.
From seeing the historic sites of Washington, D.C., and accompanying Yasir and his family to both his vocabulary test and to his live rounds onstage, I couldn’t get over how amazing the experience was. The Maryland Ballroom at the Gaylord Resort and Convention Center was beautiful, and the atmosphere was electric as kids stepped up to the microphone and did what they absolutely loved.
While Yasir was poised onstage and spelled both of his words correctly, his vocabulary test score wasn’t high enough to qualify him for semifinals. He missed it by just two points.
I hadn’t thought about that experience in years, but as I read Shalini Shankar’s Beeline: What Spelling Bees Reveal About Generation Z’s New Path to Success,” I could feel that excitement all over again.
In this fascinating and well-researched ethnography, Shankar – a professor of anthropology and Asian American studies at Northwestern University – delves into the culture of spelling bees and uses it as a means of examining the traits of Generation Z.
From attending the National Spelling Bee from 2013-2018, the South Asian Spelling Bee, North South Foundation Spelling Bee and several regional bees, Shankar is well-versed in the culture of spelling bees, and it shows in her book. And while Beeline is full of statistics and findings, Shankar weaves in her research amidst the personal and engaging stories and experiences of several nationally-known spellers, such as Amber Born, Kate Miller, Shreyas Parab, Vanya Shivashankar and Gokul Venkatachalam.
From examining their study habits and drive to succeed, to observing how involved and supportive the families of Generation Z children are when it comes to spelling bee preparation and the cultivation of human capital, Shankar allows readers to see “what spelling bees reveal about Generation Z kids and how we can better understand childhood success through the lens of spellers who compete at an elite level.”
Whether dedicating hours a day to spelling bee study and preparation, making their mark as young entrepreneurs or striving for career and professional success at an increasingly young age, Shankar notes that “Gen Zers seek out opportunities rather than expecting things to be handed to them.”
Striving for inclusivity in her study, Shankar examines Indian-American communities and how they have impacted American culture, from producing many of the recent bee champions and emphasizing grit, determination and hard work, to influencing parenting styles.
Additionally, Shankar provides readers with a good history of spelling bees, noting that what was once a small, traditional schoolroom competition has now evolved into a televised event that is not only highly-watched on ESPN, but also has quite a following social media, making these spellers into “spellebrities.”
This was such an interesting and engaging read. I loved learning about the lives, study habits, spelling bee experiences and career aspirations of the many spellers she interviewed, as well as learning about the history of the bee, the impact of South Asian Americans in the United States, and what happens behind the scenes of the Scripps National Spelling Bee.
Thank you to Netgalley and Basic Books for early access to this book in exchange for an honest review. If you’re a fan of the spelling bee or simply want to know more about these talented, hardworking kids, give this book a read.
March 23, 2019
Shalini Shankar has applied her skills as a writer along with her academic thesis and years of involved study of the National Spelling Bee to create a fascinating book that gives an insider's view of an exciting high-stakes, high-reward environment. Beyond the Bee, she uses American cohorts as her framework of reference, focusing onwards from the Baby Boomers: Generation X, Generation Y, Millennials (b. 1981-1996) and Generation Z (b. 1996-). Parenting styles are featured and compared, and I found it interesting that she provides historic cohorts for context as well: Colonial Child (1620-1770), Republican Child (1170-1830), Victorian Child (1830-1900), and Modern Child (1900-present).
Beyond the nuts, bolts, and nitty gritty about spelling bees, Shankar gets into how they link to human-capital building, that children in Millennial generation on are raised as investments of human capital, passed on to children "through a process social scientists call social reproduction, including assets, skills, social knowledge, and social networks". Terms and concepts I had not been familiar with. I love the range of experts she cites from social psychologist Angela Lee Duckworth, and Carol Dweck, whose "grit" and fixed vs growth mindset I have long been a fan of, and new names to me such as French sociologist Pierre Bourdieu. But Beeline isn't dry-and-academic, she Shankar rightly spotlights those in competition, the children and also their families, with compelling looks at how these Spellebrities go on to flourish academically as well as professionally, as entrepreneurs, coaches, and well-rounded self-confident individuals.
I too am a big fan of the Scripps National Spelling Bee, and ate up the details about the training, the support, the personalities, and the production process behind ESPN's shows and all the burgeoning competitions, worldwide. I liked reading about other brain sports besides the spelling bee, the thorough coverage of social media confluence, and the highlighting of this mixture of "precocious and cool". "Bee Parenting is shifting standards and means of achievement and how much more kids nowadays need to do to succeed." I admire South-Asian author Shankar here for her ability to objectively and personably evaluate the South-Asian experience in relation to the Bee, without interjecting any glimmer of gloating.
This was my favorite bit in the whole book (among so so many great quotes I've high-lighted): "Before, there were, like, fifty white people in a row and no one was like, 'Hmm, this is suspicious,' " Amber (Born) remarked. Kate (Miller) additionally pointed out that before Nupur Lala won in 1999, boys had won for seven straight years. "No one wondered about that!" exclaimed Kate.
Beyond the nuts, bolts, and nitty gritty about spelling bees, Shankar gets into how they link to human-capital building, that children in Millennial generation on are raised as investments of human capital, passed on to children "through a process social scientists call social reproduction, including assets, skills, social knowledge, and social networks". Terms and concepts I had not been familiar with. I love the range of experts she cites from social psychologist Angela Lee Duckworth, and Carol Dweck, whose "grit" and fixed vs growth mindset I have long been a fan of, and new names to me such as French sociologist Pierre Bourdieu. But Beeline isn't dry-and-academic, she Shankar rightly spotlights those in competition, the children and also their families, with compelling looks at how these Spellebrities go on to flourish academically as well as professionally, as entrepreneurs, coaches, and well-rounded self-confident individuals.
I too am a big fan of the Scripps National Spelling Bee, and ate up the details about the training, the support, the personalities, and the production process behind ESPN's shows and all the burgeoning competitions, worldwide. I liked reading about other brain sports besides the spelling bee, the thorough coverage of social media confluence, and the highlighting of this mixture of "precocious and cool". "Bee Parenting is shifting standards and means of achievement and how much more kids nowadays need to do to succeed." I admire South-Asian author Shankar here for her ability to objectively and personably evaluate the South-Asian experience in relation to the Bee, without interjecting any glimmer of gloating.
This was my favorite bit in the whole book (among so so many great quotes I've high-lighted): "Before, there were, like, fifty white people in a row and no one was like, 'Hmm, this is suspicious,' " Amber (Born) remarked. Kate (Miller) additionally pointed out that before Nupur Lala won in 1999, boys had won for seven straight years. "No one wondered about that!" exclaimed Kate.
August 21, 2019
Recommended for anyone interested in spelling bees, brain sports, or motivations for Generation Z. The second half of the book shares more human stories of bee participants, including "spellebrities" (is that in the dictionary?) like Vanya Shivashankar, 2015 Bee co-champion. The chapter on professionalizing childhoods is also very interesting.
February 10, 2020
I had great expectations for this book and they were not met. The book would have been excellent if it had concentrated solely on the Spelling Bee preparation and contest, with a particular focus on South Asian participation in the event. Instead it attempted to make generalizations about Millennials vs. Gen Z and Boomer parents vs. Gen X parents that were unsupported by research or even basic documentation. Even the spelling bee portion was week--the author did not explain what Scripps-Howard is or why and how it sponsors the contest. It was best when it profiled the individual speller sand their families, particularly the Indian families--it is a mystery to me why the author did not just stick to and expand on the issue of why participation in the spelling contest is such a driver for Indian families, rather than try to make generalizations that were completely unconvincing about Gen Z vs millennials and the spelling contest. I listened to this book and if I'd been reading it rather than listening on a road trip in which I had no other listening option I might have DNFed this.
June 19, 2021
This was so goddamn frustrating. As someone who falls into Shankar's definition of "Gen Z" I found her observations extremely off-base. Her methodology is fundamentally flawed in that she extrapolates the practices of Bee parents and the characteristics of the Bee competitors to be representative of a whole generation, which makes absolutely no sense. Further, she admits multiple times that these "trends" were already extant in millennials, and despite acknowledging that there is no clear definition of "Gen Z", proceeds to hold fast to her description of that same cohort. If she stuck to the actual scope of her subjects—spelling bee competitors and their families—Shankar's findings may have been more palatable and perhaps even interesting. As-is, though, she makes wild claims about a much larger and completely different demographic than the one she studied. It's possible that her publisher just wanted her to take an angle that has broad appeal, in which case I feel bad for Shankar, but in the end this book is just plain awful.
May 12, 2019
In years past, I have loved watching the Scripps National Spelling Bee, so as soon as I saw that there was a book about it, I immediately requested it from my library, months before it was even released. I felt like this book was a little unorganized; it felt part analysis of Generation Z, part cool facts and feel good stories about spelling bees, and part sociological exploration of South Asians in the United States. Discovering that the author is a professor of anthropology & Asian American studies with an expertise in South Asian diaspora really informed my reading of this book because it made me feel like that's the element of spelling bees the author was most interested in exploring.
June 24, 2019
As a reading and language arts teacher, a spelling bee coordinator, and just a lover of spelling bees in general, I thought if I don’t love this book, who will! I loved the premise and found the research interesting, just a bit repetitive. I read the first 80 pages, then a couple other chapters that interested me the most, then returned it to the library. Worth a read if you’re interested in education, spelling bees, parenting styles, and anything in between.
December 7, 2020
This book was chapter after chapter of the same information. Even in it was cut by half, it still would have been too long.
I was disappointed that the author didn’t dig into the stress and pressure put on Gen Z. I was also not a fan of the surface level/stereotypical analysis of Gen Y.
I was disappointed that the author didn’t dig into the stress and pressure put on Gen Z. I was also not a fan of the surface level/stereotypical analysis of Gen Y.
May 26, 2019
To me, this seemed like chapter after chapter of the same....a few interesting stories interspersed with a lot of demographics and the same info about preparation over and over.. ZZzzz....
January 20, 2020
An extra star for all the BTS spelling bee tidbits and interviews with spellers. This felt repetitive, unfocused, and like it was randomly arranged.
June 28, 2019
Shalini Shankar through her newest book, Beeline: What Spelling Bees Reveal About Generation Z’s New Path to Success, gave insight and commentary on the differences between generations starting with the baby boomers, immigration and race, and of course, the Scripps National Spelling Bee. Thoughtful and well-written, the book reads more like a documentary than a thesis, keeping you engaged and connected to the people introduced throughout the entirety of the book.
Shankar, makes note of the differences between the parenting styles of each generation, beginning with the Baby Boomers, and how each generation is separated along with what was and is expected of them. She also points out that the generation titles that group people together are all based on white middle-class standards and doesn’t include immigrants or first-gens. With a focus on the South Asian community, the book shows that you can’t put everyone under the same umbrella and anyone seen outside of that umbrella is seen as a threat to the white population in the United States. This became evident when the South Asian community started to take part in the Bee, became committed to this brain sport. and each winner from the past decade have all been South Asian and people started to question why the people at the top were no longer white.
From countless interviews over the past five years, Shankar was able to see how intensely the students had studied and prepared for the Bee. She was also able to share the social impact that each child has had during Bee Week and the change it has made to not only their lives, but to their parents’ as well. Preparing for the Bee is a family effort, with the preparation, encouragement, and financial commitment needed in order to compete against the dictionary.
Beeline was insightful and eye-opening to the world of the Bee and into how Generation Z, in my opinion, will be and already is, the most successful, hardworking, diverse and multi-talented generation. The market has taken note and society continues to change in order to keep up. With this book, every reader has the chance to get a glimpse of the increasing pressure on what it means to be successful, the changes in the expectations of childhood and what it means to be American.
Shankar, makes note of the differences between the parenting styles of each generation, beginning with the Baby Boomers, and how each generation is separated along with what was and is expected of them. She also points out that the generation titles that group people together are all based on white middle-class standards and doesn’t include immigrants or first-gens. With a focus on the South Asian community, the book shows that you can’t put everyone under the same umbrella and anyone seen outside of that umbrella is seen as a threat to the white population in the United States. This became evident when the South Asian community started to take part in the Bee, became committed to this brain sport. and each winner from the past decade have all been South Asian and people started to question why the people at the top were no longer white.
From countless interviews over the past five years, Shankar was able to see how intensely the students had studied and prepared for the Bee. She was also able to share the social impact that each child has had during Bee Week and the change it has made to not only their lives, but to their parents’ as well. Preparing for the Bee is a family effort, with the preparation, encouragement, and financial commitment needed in order to compete against the dictionary.
Beeline was insightful and eye-opening to the world of the Bee and into how Generation Z, in my opinion, will be and already is, the most successful, hardworking, diverse and multi-talented generation. The market has taken note and society continues to change in order to keep up. With this book, every reader has the chance to get a glimpse of the increasing pressure on what it means to be successful, the changes in the expectations of childhood and what it means to be American.
September 2, 2019
Shalini Shankar's book, "Beeline: What Spelling Bees Reveal About Generation Z's New Path to Success," was a wonderful "behind the scenes" of the history of the Scripps Annual Spelling Bee." It was also an interesting comparison between mainly the Mellennial's and Generations X's and Z's. Shankar brought race issues between "American's" and "Indian Americans" as well as "Asian Americans" into play as well. At times I feel that Shankar may have spent too much time on the race issues, and instead could have dealt with more information and stories of the various "Bee" winners during and after their wins.
I did like when Shankar brought up the Hunter College High School "Bee" competitor since two of my nieces both graduated from that school.
An interesting book about Spelling Bees and a nice look at "elite," "professional," and "driven" children/Young Adults of our two recent generations which gives hope for better times. I really wanted to rate this book as a "4 1/2" but did not think that is was rated with 5 stars. I would recommend this book to people who love "words."
Laura Cobrinik,
Boonton Township, NJ
I did like when Shankar brought up the Hunter College High School "Bee" competitor since two of my nieces both graduated from that school.
An interesting book about Spelling Bees and a nice look at "elite," "professional," and "driven" children/Young Adults of our two recent generations which gives hope for better times. I really wanted to rate this book as a "4 1/2" but did not think that is was rated with 5 stars. I would recommend this book to people who love "words."
Laura Cobrinik,
Boonton Township, NJ
January 14, 2020
Shankar's Beeline is a ridiculously entertaining deep dive into the world of bees and, more broadly, what it means to be a kid today. Or the parent of a kid today. Admittedly, as a long-standing super fan of the Scripps National Spelling Bee, I was predisposed to love this book, which is chalk full of all manner of behind the scenes info on the bee and its contestants--but the book delivers in a much bigger way than I expected. It beautifully transcends the seemingly narrow premise of spelling bees to cast a wide-angle lens on youth culture, parenting styles/trends, the vast (and fast growing) world of brain sports, the American immigrant experience (and recent immigration trends in the US), how televised sports are produced, along with a rich trove of data and insights on generational shifts from the Silent Generation to Gen Z, and where today's kids might be heading! The book has pace, humor, heaps of wonderful language, and is written with deep empathy for the teens and tweens profiled. This is a book for parents, grandparents, word freaks, sports fans, youth culture obsessives, anthropologists (amateur or pro), and fans of non-fiction. I freaking loved it!!
December 31, 2021
2.6/5
I was really excited about this book and was, unfortunately, disappointed.
This book was very repetitive, but didn’t seem to offer any solid insight. I was hoping for more of a history of the spelling bee. There was some history; however, it was so scattered throughout the book, it was hard to follow.
Additionally, I didn’t quite agree with her descriptions/analyses of different generations. I consider myself a millennial, and don’t view my peers in the way she does. It was disappointing to only read snapshots of different generations and parenting styles, as related to the spelling bee and other academic competitions. I thought it was an area that could have been developed further.
This book states it is an analysis of generation Z; however, I didn’t find anything really concrete except they are “entrepreneurial” and “tech/social media savvy.” There wasn’t much evidence to really support these claims.
Lastly, this books talks a lot about Immigration and differences in culture in regards to parenting; however, like the rest of the book, claims were broad, lacked substantial evidence, and too scattered to follow.
I didn’t quite love this book.
I was really excited about this book and was, unfortunately, disappointed.
This book was very repetitive, but didn’t seem to offer any solid insight. I was hoping for more of a history of the spelling bee. There was some history; however, it was so scattered throughout the book, it was hard to follow.
Additionally, I didn’t quite agree with her descriptions/analyses of different generations. I consider myself a millennial, and don’t view my peers in the way she does. It was disappointing to only read snapshots of different generations and parenting styles, as related to the spelling bee and other academic competitions. I thought it was an area that could have been developed further.
This book states it is an analysis of generation Z; however, I didn’t find anything really concrete except they are “entrepreneurial” and “tech/social media savvy.” There wasn’t much evidence to really support these claims.
Lastly, this books talks a lot about Immigration and differences in culture in regards to parenting; however, like the rest of the book, claims were broad, lacked substantial evidence, and too scattered to follow.
I didn’t quite love this book.
July 14, 2019
This book is eye-opening for all sorts of reasons. The professionalization of childhood, at least among certain subgroups (bee participants, athletics, STEM research etc), helps to explain why the students profiled in the book are not just great spellers but media stars and entrepreneurs all by the age of 15. The differentiation between GenX and Gen Z is overstated. Only a small group are pursuing things at the level of these Bee winners, but they demonstrate how hard it is to stand out without support, coaching, and financial means. For those who wonder why South Asian Americans dominate the Scripps Bee, this book helps to explain this phenomenon in ways that make the participants far different than the stereotypes that many hold. I would encourage anyone who is raising children to read this book. You may not agree with some of the premises and conclusions but it will challenge the way you see childhood.
June 17, 2022
I had really high hopes for this book, and honestly, was a little disappointed by it. While I love the points the author is trying to make, and overall agree with her, I don't think this was a strong piece of ethnographic work. Childhood is clearly being increasingly professionalized, doesn't take a study to see that, and the section of the book about race relations within the Bee was great. However, I don't think the argument for why competitive spelling applies broadly to greater America was very strong (whether or not I agree with it, which I do in-part), and just generally the readability of the book was not up to par with other ethnographies I've read. It did not create a strong storyline, and many details that seemed to be included in attempt to create a storyline felt unnecessary, the writing overall was not engaging or immersive. I learned a lot about the Bee and Bee culture, though, which was very interesting!
July 19, 2019
Author Shalini Shankar provides an up-close look at Indian-Americans participating in the Scripps Spelling Bee. She interviews dozens of participants, mostly those that ranked well or even won the bee, as well as their parents and siblings. She quotes them directly in the book adding a diversity of voices. Many of the families arrived in the US through the 1990 Immigration Act that allowed 700,000 for three years to immigrants with "advanced degrees and strong technology skills," and then allowed 675,000 in the years after its inception. She further establishes that, "the majority of all skilled labor to arrive in the United States since 1990 has come from India." This provides a basis for much of the book's thesis, that Indian-American immigrants and their community have dominated the bee due to the parenting styles of these very motivated intellectual families that also have a unique network of support.
I found the book fascinating. As a life-long educator sometimes working with Indian-American immigrants and their children, it rang true for me. The families tend to be hard-working and value school and learning. I particularly enjoyed reading Shankar's take on the racism that has resulted from kids of Indian-American heritage winning the bee in so many recent years. American nationalists are quick to demand that immigrants "learn English," but in the case of immigrants' descendants winning the bee these same critics don't seem to want them to learn English too well.
The book's main focus is on what Gen Z, kids born after 1996, will and are doing to be successful. Using the bee kids as a microcosm of study, the book goes on to make some predictions. These same kids that succeed at the bee and then "age out" find many paths to further their success. Not surprisingly, the kids that do well at the bee frequently go on to be tutors for other bee hopefuls and even work for Scripps or ESPN and others and cover the event as journalists. More notably, though, perhaps is that these kids have developed skills in presenting themselves to the media in highly stressful situations, and they take these skills into other areas of their lives to continue their success. In our media-driven, fast-paced world Shankar posits that this may be the secret sauce that Gen Z will need to navigate their futures.
I found the book fascinating. As a life-long educator sometimes working with Indian-American immigrants and their children, it rang true for me. The families tend to be hard-working and value school and learning. I particularly enjoyed reading Shankar's take on the racism that has resulted from kids of Indian-American heritage winning the bee in so many recent years. American nationalists are quick to demand that immigrants "learn English," but in the case of immigrants' descendants winning the bee these same critics don't seem to want them to learn English too well.
The book's main focus is on what Gen Z, kids born after 1996, will and are doing to be successful. Using the bee kids as a microcosm of study, the book goes on to make some predictions. These same kids that succeed at the bee and then "age out" find many paths to further their success. Not surprisingly, the kids that do well at the bee frequently go on to be tutors for other bee hopefuls and even work for Scripps or ESPN and others and cover the event as journalists. More notably, though, perhaps is that these kids have developed skills in presenting themselves to the media in highly stressful situations, and they take these skills into other areas of their lives to continue their success. In our media-driven, fast-paced world Shankar posits that this may be the secret sauce that Gen Z will need to navigate their futures.
June 10, 2019
Spelling bees and lots of immigration data. Add to it personal stories of participants in the Scripps National Spelling Bee, their families, and preparation strategies and this is a winner. The author focuses a lot on comparison between generations (short version - Millennials are snowflakes; Gen Z kids are more resilient and savvy about using social media to their advantage). I was surprised to learn how many companies (most run by former Bee participants) offer bee preparation and spelling coaching, and how this is working to skew the chance of winning toward those who can afford to hire coaches.
May 5, 2020
Beeline impressively handles enormous amounts of data to tell an engaging story about spelling bee culture in the US. Shankar invites the reader into many interesting discussions about generational differences, technology, branding, and success. For me, one of the best things about this book is that it doesn't fall into the trap of a deficit perspective on younger generations and their relationship with technology. Rather, it shows how many different social, political and historical factors (including language) condition Gen Zers' use of technology to achieve their own version of "success".
July 16, 2019
Unexpectedly surprised by this book, was prepared for a quick and light read and recieved anything but.
Change the cover, a cover change recommended.
This book in loaded with statistical data pertaining to age demographics, cultural demographics, social economic & population demographics.
What a great book, once I picked it up, I was unable to put it down until completed.
Highly recommended.
Change the cover, a cover change recommended.
This book in loaded with statistical data pertaining to age demographics, cultural demographics, social economic & population demographics.
What a great book, once I picked it up, I was unable to put it down until completed.
Highly recommended.
May 1, 2020
Great read! In Beeline, Shalini Shankar takes the reader to the complex backstage and onstage worlds of an exceptional group of Generation Z kids, those that love competitive spelling. Shankar’s lively narrative style offers provocative cultural insights into contemporary childhood and the ways in which these young people imagine, perform, and achieve success. Highly recommended for use in college teaching as it generates thoughtful discussion and self-reflection.
December 3, 2019
An interesting book, but my National Spelling Bee contestant is a Millennial. The author makes some thought- provoking comparisons between millennials and Gen Z, but you just can't wrap whole generations up in packages and slap one size fits all labels on them.
May 4, 2020
A clear and intriguing book! Well researched and thoroughly thought out, Beeline provides insights on immigrant and Gen Z identities with respect and care to its subjects. A needed read that provides perspective on the students of today.
May 2, 2019
I loved Beeline — it is probably one of my favorite nonfiction books I have read this year. Shalini Shankar goes to great lengths to portray the children who participate in the Scripps National Spelling Bee accurately. I loved how she interviewed them, their parents, their coaches, and former Bee winners. Ugh, it felt SO AUTHENTIC!
Another aspect I loved that I wasn't expecting was the analysis of Indian-American families whose children win the bees. I had never thought about how disproportionate the racial makeup of the winners is, but Shankar brought this to my attention and offered really interesting hypothesis to explain it.
I hope this book does amazing in terms of sales. I definitely want to see the author reap the benefits of such a well-written, well-analyzed topic.
Full review on my blog: https://bookishr.wordpress.com/2019/0...
Another aspect I loved that I wasn't expecting was the analysis of Indian-American families whose children win the bees. I had never thought about how disproportionate the racial makeup of the winners is, but Shankar brought this to my attention and offered really interesting hypothesis to explain it.
I hope this book does amazing in terms of sales. I definitely want to see the author reap the benefits of such a well-written, well-analyzed topic.
Full review on my blog: https://bookishr.wordpress.com/2019/0...
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