Akeelah and the Bee [Paperback]

James W. Ellison (Author), Doug Atchison (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 9 and up | Grade Level: 4 and up

A novelization of the inspirational movie about an 11-year-old girl in South Los Angeles named Akeelah and her quest to make it to the Scripps National Spelling Bee-with help from some very unexpected places.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 4-6–Akeelah Anderson, 11, is accustomed to hiding her intelligence from the other students at Crenshaw Middle School. All this changes when she is coerced into participating in the school's first spelling bee. Words have always fascinated the seventh grader, a passion she shared with her late father. When she wins and moves on to the district competition, her principal's old friend, university professor Dr. Larabee, begins to coach her. Both are stubborn, and they take some time warming up to one another, but their sessions begin in earnest once Akeelah qualifies for the next level. Beyond learning thousands of words, she has a major problem–her mother wants her to concentrate on summer school instead of entering the competition. Determined to go, the girl forges her father's signature on the application. Of course Mrs. Anderson discovers the truth, but is persuaded to let her daughter continue. Along the way the girl finds that she has become a symbol of pride to her South Central Los Angeles neighborhood. This novel, based on the screenplay of the same name, tends to tell rather than show much of the action, but this will probably not deter young readers.–Terrie Dorio, Santa Monica Public Library, CA
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About the Author

Doug Atchison has directed over a dozen short films, including his award-winning thesis project, Ellen's Father. He has taught directing at the International Film and Television Workshops in Rockport, Maine, and screenwriting at the University of LaVerne, near Los Angeles. James W. Ellison is the author of seven novels published by Doubleday, Little, Brown, and Dodd Mead, including the award-winning I'm Owen Harrison Harding and novelizations including Finding Forrester, Two Brothers, and Rudy. He lives in New York City.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9 and up
  
• Paperback: 186 pages
• Publisher: It Books (August 7, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1557047294
• ISBN-13: 978-1557047298
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.3 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #725,720 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Book Review - Akeelah and the Bee, November 6, 2007

By 

K. Jones (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Akeelah and the Bee (Paperback)

My daughter loved the movie so I was very excited to see it in paperback. She's an avid reader for 9 years old and finished the book within 48 hours. She took it to school and was reading every free moment.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Akeelah and the bee, January 7, 2007

By 

A. Lozano "T-Lo" (South Dakota) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Akeelah and the Bee (Paperback)

Well Done, and a must give gift for a young teen.

5.0 out of 5 stars Joyous achievement, December 31, 2009

By 

E. Drew Crowley (Salt Lake City, Utah, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Akeelah and the Bee (Paperback)

A real-life story for all youth about challenges and opportunities to achieve with outstanding results from work-ethic, perseverance, dedication, and self-confidence. Should be a 'must-see' for every grammar-school-age student, without exception. Its principles, if implemented, address the challenges of under-performance in too many of our schools because of parents' failures, teachers' challenges to focus on the proper curriculums, and students' lack of respect and discipline.