Customer Reviews

A Hive of Busy Bees

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

DON'T BUY THIS BOOK if you want "fluff"! My 8 yr.old and I loved this book. We need more books that teach "Bee Obedient, Bee Polite, Bee Content, Loving, Prayerful, Grateful, Truthful," etc. It is a great conversation starter about things that matter in life. It deals with the circumstances of our actions and other issues that can make us better people. But, as I said earlier, "if you want "fluff", don't buy it".

This book presents realistic stories in an easy to read format.
Warm family relationships are apparent and grandma's stories always have a significant lesson for young readers and reminders for older readers. For every choice one makes, whether a careless choice or a careful choice, there are consequences. Love of neighbor in making choices and seeking forgiveness when mistakes and resulting consequences harm others are two themes repeated throughout.

My children adore this book. I recently found there is a sequel entitled, "Another Hive of Busy Bees" -- I can only hope that is more of the same gentle, thoughtful and character-building stories.

In the search for wholesome books to enrich my daughter's library, I, on a wing, ordered this book. We read it together two years ago, a chapter a day. Of all the books on her shelf, this book is the one that she turns to for that familiar relationship between a favorite story and the desire we've all had to actually be in the story.

Don and Joyce spend a summer at their grandparents' farm, learning about life through Grandma's nightly "Bee" stories.

Each tale illustrates a different character trait needing development in the children that day..."Bee Polite" tells the story of two children who learn the sting of this bee as they follow the crowd throwing stones at an elderly lady walking along the road, only to later be introduced to this same lady as their grandmother, whom they've never had the opportunity to meet in person.

"Bee Careful" describes a tree that in its early years of development had a branch tied into a knot by a young boy, unnoticed by the adults until so much time had passed by that the knot could not be untied. Through the details of this story, Don and Joyce learn how listening to the buzz of this bee can help them prevent future trouble by being careful...choosing wisely the words they speak and the actions they take as youngsters.

I highly recommend this book for old and young alike!

LOVE THIS BOOK!!! I had this passed down to me by my grandmother. So happy to have found a digital copy of it. Mine is old and falling apart. Kind of sad they didn't include the pictures, that would have put it over the top and is the only reason for 4* instead of 5*. I have seen several people saying they hate this book because extreme things happen like a girl ending up in a wheelchair or a mother dying. Why? Why shouldn't children know that their actions may have unintended consequences??? Maybe if more children grew up knowing that there were repercussions to their actions we wouldn't have such full prisons!! Nothing is so extreme as to not be possible. It is portrayed in a tenderhearted way. My children have heard all these stories several times and adore them. They do not feel that they are "scary" because sometimes something bad happens. There are also times when something good happens. Should we only teach that good things happen regardless of your character??? This author did a great job teaching the young of good virtues to search after.

I was given this book by my grandmother as a child. Nearly thirty years later, I still remember how very scary it was to me. It teaches life lessons with a heavy, heavy dose of guilt. In one story, a little boy does not do the chores his mother wants him to, and goes fishing instead. He comes home to find his mother has done all the chores, and IS NOW DEAD! In another, a little boy does not close the gate as he is asked to, and his little sister gets trampled by horses and is in a wheelchair for life as a result of his irresponsibility. Come on now! I found the book to be traumatizing.