Tag Archive for: Bees

Metamorphis | ed. Grist

 

The short fictions that make up this collection, chosen from worldwide submissions to Grist’s Imagine story competition, recognise the grief, anger and helplessness engendered by climate and ecological breakdown but focus on the positives: community, resilience, innovation and the power of the human imagination.

“Each story is crafted with beautiful and compelling prose, and while painting vastly different futures, they remain in conversation with one another—building on ideas and providing a kaleidoscopic array of possibilities.” – Justine Payton

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The History of Bees | Maja Lunde

 

An ambitious debut novel that follows three generations of beekeepers from past, present, and future. The History of Bees joins their narratives into a gripping and thought provoking tale which is as much about the powerful relationships between children and parents as it is about our very relationship to the bees and to nature.

A deeply moving story of dystopia and hope, The History of Bees resonates powerfully with our most pressing environmental concerns. Moving through the past and precarious present into an uncertain future it reveals how much our existence depends on the survival of the bees.

“As a lover of honeybees and a fan of speculative fiction, I was doubly smitten by The History of Bees. Maja Lunde’s novel is an urgent reminder of how much our survival depends on those remarkable insects. It is also a gripping account of how—despite the cruellest losses—humanity may abide and individual families can heal.” Jean Hegland, author of Into the Forest.

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Silent Earth: Averting the Insect Apocalypse | Dave Goulson

Dave Goulson is passionate about insects. One of his earliest memories is finding a stripey yellow and black caterpillar feeding on weeds at the edge of the school playground. His passion turned into a career, and in Silent Earth, Goulson draws on a lifetime of study and the latest ground-breaking research. He reveals the shocking decline of insect populations with eye-watering statistics – ‘41% of insect species threatened with extinction’ – and details the potentially catastrophic consequences of their demise.

This thoughtful and enjoyable book is part love letter to the insect world, part elegy, part rousing manifesto for a greener planet, and while we may feel helpless in the face of ecological breakdown, Goulson shows us how we can all take simple steps to encourage insects and counter their destruction. – Sandy Winterbottom

How to Bee | Bren MacDibble 

How to Bee - Bren MacDibble

Nine-year-old Peony wants to be a bee – but all the bees in Australia have died, and children like her have to pollinate the fruit trees with feather wands. It’s a great introduction to dystopian fiction for readers aged eight to twelve.

 

Read our Librarian’s top climate choices for children here.