THE LITTLE QUEEN

In Hincker’s contemporary fantasy novel, a teen has a supernatural connection to bees.

While sitting in his middle school classroom, Anthony Smith notices a bee. While the rest of the students panic, Anthony has no worries about being stung—after all, he can communicate with bees. On her deathbed, Anthony’s mother made Anthony promise he would never use his strange ability again. The insect’s classroom visit rekindles his love of bees and beekeeping, and even Anthony’s teachers think he should be encouraged to spend his time focusing on bees rather than falling further into the depression brought on by the death of his mother. But something is wrong with the hive Anthony has cared for since his mother’s death; the bees aren’t acting like they should. Anthony happens upon a small queen bee unlike any other he’s ever seen, clearly wounded and alone. Taking her home and caring for her, Anthony introduces her to his failing hive in a last-ditch effort to save both it and the “Little Queen.” While researching online to determine just what kind of bee his new queen is, Anthony starts to receive some disturbing messages that lead to threats against both him and his precious hive. The author tells his sweet-as-honey story from multiple perspectives, primarily those of Anthony and the Little Queen. The thought processes and world of the bees are intricately drawn; the description of how knowledge is passed along from one bee to another is creatively handled, and the Plain of Crowns, where only a Queen Bee may visit, sounds like heaven to both humans and bees: “Beneath her is a rich, golden vastness, the color of perfectly cured honey. It glows like the light of the sun through a yellow autumn leaf.” Though Anthony is in the seventh grade, his story will appeal to adults and younger readers alike.

A well-written, compelling tale—readers will fall in love with Anthony and his Little Queen.