Drift by Pip Harry

How did he see the video?

Who showed him?

Why did he watch it?

Does he see me differently now?

Can we ever be friends again?

Nate has moved from Singapore to Sydney. His mum has a serious issue with her spine and can no longer work. She talks about her days in terms of spoons and often by the end of the day she has no spoons left. Dad is back in Singapore but he will join them soon. Nate has to adjust to helping his mum and fitting in at a new school. He also misses the hustle and bustle of Singapore.

In the house next door there is a girl named Luna. She lives with her mum, dad and older brother. Very recently something dreadful has happened. She has been filmed and this has been shared with 'everyone'. Luna has to endure cruel comments at school and she has now lost her closest friend.

The stage is set for Nate and Luna to find each other and yes they do. Even better this story is also filled with bees and honey and first love and kindness and a glorious seaside Sydney setting. 

There are text fragments in this book that show Pip Harry 'really gets' teenagers:

After class,

the DKs invite me to sit

with their friend group for recess ...

This is the ultimate act of social rescue

and I accept immediately ...

It's Annalise

the most popular

of the popular girls.

We used to laugh when she and her mates

walked past with their

ponytails worn ridiculously

high.

Their skirts ridiculously

short.

We called them 

the Ponytail Gang.

This quote really resonates with me because I call adults who clearly succeeded at High School and who were the queens of their peer group - ponytail girls. 

There is a tiny 'throwaway line' on page 243. Luna has been absent from school for two weeks. She has been refusing to go to school refuser:

I miss face-to-face classes,

new books in the library,

the smell of the art room ...

Thank you, Pip Harry, for having a character mention the school library!

I also love the way Pip Harry makes this story unashamedly about the Northern Beaches of Sydney. She has references to the pool at Curl Curl; a market a Freshwater; Narrabeen Lagoon; Manly Dam; Avalon; Palm Beach; our beautiful flannel flowers (photo below); the Manly Corso; the local rehab hospitals at Dee Why and Warriewood; and she even adds in an echidna and a kookaburra. (I talked about this same use of the setting in The Little Wave). 

My photo of a flannel flower at Dobroyd, Sydney NSW

Also thank you for the tears I shed over this story - this reflects the beautiful honesty of the storytelling the genuine emotions of these two kids - Luna and Nate - kids I have to come to really care about. And there is also honesty in the way so many parts of this story relate Pip Harry's own real life - which is something I discovered from her talk at the library. Like Amber, Pip had major spinal surgery; like Nate and Amber, a swarm of bees did move into the walls of their home; and Pip lives in the same part of Sydney where her story is set. Oh, and Pip is a keen swimmer. In her talk she used the word authentic and that certainly applies to the tone and story she is telling in Drift. 

Luna's dad is a minor character but I love the way he is allowed express his confusion:

He comes from 

The School of Hard Knocks.

My generation Didn't Get Any Handouts.

Get on with it,

don't be a sook. ...

Why are kids so bloody anxious these days, Steph?

I don't remember anyone seeing a shrink

when I was a teenager ...

Life is hard,

out kids need to get tougher.

Am I wrong?

I bought Drift at the literary festival (see below) and came home and read the whole book in one sitting. 

Pip Harry shared the advance copy of her book with Megan Daley and her husband who is a beekeeper. They were able to check her bee keeping facts were accurate. Megan loves bees. Here is her book list for World Bee Day. Megan will launch Drift in Brisbane in mid-August. Her endorsement on the cover says: "Buzzes with warmth and the undeniable magic of bees!" Speaking of the cover - it is fabulous. Well done Astred Hicks. Pip Harry will also be presenting at events over the coming weeks in Bendigo and Adelaide. And she mentioned she is speaking on a panel about allowing children's books to deal with deep and complex issues - I would love to know more about that event. 

Publisher blurb: Fourteen-year-old Nate has just moved back to Australia and is finding it hard to navigate a new city, school and changed home life. His next-door neighbour, Luna, is dealing with her own issues: a viral video, friends who have dropped her, and a subsequent anxiety disorder. When a swarm of 20,000 bees unexpectedly settle in the walls of Nate's family's house, Nate and Luna come together to save the hive, befriending local beekeeper Tyler. Over the course of one summer, their loyalties will be tested and their lives will be forever changed.

Here is a review comment from Instagram. The themes this reviewer identifies (check my post labels) are why I think this book is better suited to mature readers aged 13+: 

Self-harm, depression, chronic pain, violence - it all sounds so heavy but in Pip Harry’s hands it is gentle and tender. These two beautiful characters are vulnerable and loving, wanting no more than to be accepted for who they are. This is not a horror story about social media, but it is a story about the healing power of friendship, in many different forms. And if you are after a book that demonstrates how sweet and thoughtful teenage boys can be, then look no further. Pip’s middle grade novels are extremely popular with kids so no doubt they will go looking for this one, but Drift is firmly YA, 13/14+. I adored everything about it. Drift will be published in August. MSW Book Lady

Companion books:

All the Blues in the Sky

Birdy

I am sure we will see Drift on the 2026 CBCA Older Readers Notables List along with another splendid YA Verse Novel I read this year - The Foal in the Wire by Robbie Coburn.

Yesterday I attended the first Willoughby Literary Festival. My discovery of this event, hosted by the Willoughby Library in Chatswood, held over two weekends, was entirely an accident. This is where I heard Pip Harry talk about her new YA Verse Novel Dift - for ages 12+. It will be released on Wednesday this week. Pip shared her book with fifteen kids in the session today. They were fairly quiet and reticent to participate but she kept up her energy and enthusiasm for the whole hour. If you have the opportunity to have Pip Harry visit your school or library grab it with both hands - your kids will experience a brilliant and insightful session. 

I have previously talked about several books by Pip Harry and I penned a detailed profile post after her presentation at a local Teacher-Librarian conference. I have added the view count beside each title:

• The Little Wave (976)
• Are you there Buddha? (241)
• August and Jones (219)
• Over and Under (111)

Bilal's Brilliant Bee by Michael Rosen

If I still worked in my school library I would most definitely add this book to my collection because firstly, and this might seem strange, but I love Bilal's name. We had very few children in my previous school with multicultural heritage. Equally this book could be terrific in a school where there are kids with the name Bilal which is an Arabic or Turkish name. Secondly, I do like the moral dilemma layer of this story. Did Bilal cheat and so should he confess? These books (see below) are short with only 90 illustrated pages and short chapters that are sure to keep readers turning the pages guessing how the story could possibly have a happy ending.

Bilal finds schoolwork difficult. He never seems to be able to find the 'right' answer to the questions asked by his teachers but one day a bee arrives in his classroom and, very surprisingly, Bumble the Bee is able to give Bilal answers to those pesky questions. 

After school Bilal watches a television a quiz show What's what? Win the Lot! with his grandmother. Now that he has the help of Bumble he is able to answer any question on the quiz which consists of 101 questions. The winner takes home every prize in the studio. The early questions are easy but of course they get harder and harder. So far no one has ever won this quiz. I am sure you have guessed that Bilal goes on the quiz show and he answers nearly every question with the help of Bumble. 

Then comes questions 101 - What is the barcode on the label on the bottle of water in my pocket? An impossible question and certainly one Bumble the Bee cannot answer but I am certain Bilal will surprise you.

Typical of former Children's Laureate Michael Rosen, this book is funny, sly and gloriously accompanied by Tony Ross' instantly recognisable bold illustrations. Book Trust

This book is one title from a set of eight books by Michael Rosen illustrated by Tony Ross. Strangely one online book seller lists books from this series as over AUS$23 while another lists them at just over AUS$14. It pays to shop around. Bilal's Brilliant Bee was published in 2016 but it is still available. 

I have previously talked about Choosing Crumble.

The Beehive by Megan Daley illustrated by Max Hamilton (Walker Nature Storybook series)

It is always thrilling to me when I see bees buzzing around flowering trees and small flowers. Megan Daley, the author of this new book, has loved bees nearly all her life beginning with times shared with her grandfather on his farm. Here is part of the dedication from her book:

"To Grandad for sparking and nurturing my love of bees, gardening and agriculture when I was very young."

The Beehive publisher blurb Walker Books: It's finally hive day! Willow has been waiting all year for groundskeeper Tom to split the school's native stingless beehive in two so she can take home her very own hive. Everything needs to be just right to help so that the bees forage and thrive in their new home. The dual text results in a charming story alongside an abundance of fascinating facts about Australia's native bees.

The Walker Books Nature Story series (formerly called Read and Wonder) are fabulous books to share with a young reader or in a library session. 

At the Sydney event to celebrate publication of The Beehive and on also this podcast (Words and Nerds) Megan explains that she loves to share nonfiction with her students and so about seven years ago she used the format of the Nature Story Book series to pen an innovation on this text style, writing her own book about our Native Australian bees. 

Native Australian bees are smaller than European bees and nearly all of them do not sting but they can nip you with their mandibles. The most special of our Australian Native bees are the Blue-Banded variety. I have listed further resources below. Read this review from the Australian Native Bee Association.

Prior to attending this event at our Sydney Bookshop - Gleebooks - I had read quite a bit about The Beehive via Megan Daley's own posts on Facebook and also via her group Your Kid's Next Read although I didn't know her story character Willow's name came from her younger daughter. Nor did I know she wrote 27 drafts of this text and that her beekeeper partner did not want the story beekeeper to look like an old man with grey hair. Here are the ideas Max Hamilton tried out before settling in the character of Tom who is based on a real person:

The really interesting part of the event today though, was hearing from the illustrator Max Hamilton. By happy coincidence this Sydney event was the first time Max Hamilton and Megan Daley had met in person. 

One lovely moment came when Megan talked about how she loved the AA Milne Winnie the Pooh books as a child - especially all the references to honey and bees. Then Max Hamilton showed that she had incorporated this classic story into her illustration without knowing this connection with the author Megan Daley!

We also saw her thumbnails for the book layout, her changing ideas for the cover, and the photos she used as models for her illustrations.

Everything in this story is beautiful, with a unique voice that shines on the page, dancing its way around each word and image as the story and facts come together to create a book that readers of all ages will enjoy and find engaging. It is also bright and colourful, exactly as a book about bees should be as it celebrates nature and the natural world, and what it can give us. I loved that it spoke about how important bees are whilst also being entertaining and accessible, ensuring that the layers of understanding are there for a wide range of readers. The Book Muse

Further reading:

Aussie Bee

Wheenbee Foundation

Which Native Bees live in your area? (I would love to see a Teddy Bear bee)

ABC Education Bee Heroes

World Bee Day - 20th May

100 Hives in 100 Schools

Kinderbookswitheverything blog - World Bee Day book ideas

This book also has a link to IBBY Australia. Max Hamilton kindly donated a beautiful piece of original art for our mini masterpiece auction - it was the little girl from this book! And we found out why she is holding Gnomes by Wil Huygen.

You could also look for these in your school library:

I should also mention there were a number of famous children's literature supporters and creators at this event including members of the CBCA (Children's Book Council of Australia) committee; and authors and illustrators such as Nat A'Moore; Cheryl Orsini; Debra Tidball; Allison Tait; Jacqueline Harvey; Pip Harry; and Kristin Darell.  Thanks also to bookseller Rachel Robson. Her costume and enthusiasm made this event very special (and memorable). Best wishes for her move to the new shop just down the road - packing up all those books will be a mammoth task but I can't wait to see the newly renovated space (which will have a coffee shop).

One Bee too Many by Andrés Pi Andreu illustrated by Kim Amate

I love the little touches of humor in this story which I am sure any adult sharing this book with a young child will really enjoy such as this:

"One day, the bees met in the hive to discuss why they were always so cramped. They didn't have enough space to play sudoku, Parcheesi and or even checkers."

On this page the bees are reading their newspaper - the Honey Times. And on the page where the bees are talking about how to find this terrible extra bee the law book has the title - Bee Laws by Bee Good. You might also spot a Rubics cube, security cameras, and a machine called a pinocchiotronic - yes it's a lie detector.

The bees are in a housing crisis. They employ three architects - naturally things in the hive are based on a hexagon. The experts conclude there is one bee too many and immediately accusations fly around the room - this is such a disturbing scene:

• a foreign bee
• an immigrant bee
• a dirty bee
• a robber eating OUR honey
• it might carry germs
• it wants to take my job

How can the members of the hive find this extra bee. Should they assign a number to each bee - no. The lawyer suggests everyone needs a passport and birth certificate; and the linguist suggests listening to every bee as a way to detect a foreign accent.

Finally the Queen Bee steps in with her words of wisdom and the obvious solution. 

There are fabulous words in this book - incredulously; dramatic pause; hysteria; requirements; worrisome; and chilling conclusion. 

Adults will quickly recognize the allegory with parallels to immigration and racism issues of the present day and perhaps grasp the lesson of the queen bee. If only we could find such human wisdom. Friends Journal

Featuring surreal and elaborate illustrations reminiscent of Catalan modernism, readers are sure to find new surprising details in every read. Originally published in Spanish, it has won prestigious awards such as the White Ravens List, Golden Medal of the Campoy-Ada Award, and USA National Children Literature Award. from Dymocks bookseller page

I would like to find the context for this quote from the back cover of the book: “The picture book comes across inconspicuously, but it is the most beautiful and cleverest philosophical book that has been on the book market for a long time” ―Hans Christian Andersen Committee - I am not sure if the author or illustrator were perhaps nominated for the HCAA Award.

Another reviewer quoted on the back cover uses the words - whimsy, delight, moving and captivating.

Listen to a sample of an audio reading. Kim Amate comes from Spain and Andrés Pi Andreu is originally from Cuba but now lives in the US.

Pair this book with:

Scary Bird

It is not related to this book but in February I will also be reading and talking another bee book by Australian author Megan Daley illustrated by Max Hamilton.

Bees are our Friends by Toni D'Alia illustrated by Alice Lindstrom

You may know I volunteer in the Book Bunker library at Westmead Children's Hospital. A couple of weeks ago a mum asked for a book to share with her toddler that contained lots of flowers. We searched and searched but sadly didn't really find a book for this child.

I have suggested these to the library coordinator.

Today I spied this book about bees and discovered it is full of collage flowers in bright colours by Melbourne illustrator Alice Lindstrom .  If we had put flowers or gardens as subject headings in our catalogue I might have discovered this beautiful book which was published this year and would have been just right for this young child. This shows you the importance of a library catalogue - adding as many subject headings as you can for that 'just in case' moment. Our library use a centralised cataloguing service (SCIS) which is also used by most schools in Australia but there is always room to add additional headings. The library I visit each week do a fabulous job with this. I dream of one day having a copy of all the extra subject headings they have added to their catalogue.

Bees are our friends is available for a terrific price (under $20) . It would be a perfect addition to a preschool library or as a gift for a young child. 

Just One Bee by Margrete Lamond and Anthony Bertini illustrated by Christopher Nielsen

Just One Bee provides readers with opportunities to explore the topic of bees and their importance in our lives. The message is clear without being heavy handed. The way the queen bee has a tiny crown and the way she is contained in a cage will allow readers to infer her role and importance. The text of this story can be read in different ways by younger children and older students. It could be a story about two bees (and the queen) who restore the fields of flowers or it could be read as a story about humanity, climate change deniers, affirmative action, and the power of an individual to make change happen. There are also the themes of optimism and pessimism, hope and despair. One-Bee, the character, shows vision and resilience.

This is a book of true quality. The language is poetic, the page turns perfectly paced, and the illustrations are haunting and worthy of close study. The drama of turning the page to the field of vibrant flowers provides a visual shock while at the same time it is quietly affecting. The story and the telling are spare but below this is a theme of great depth.  The varied textures used as page backgrounds give this book an almost tactile feel. The illustrations have a hand-made quality.  The end papers have a retro feel. 

The paperback edition of this book will be released in mid October - here is the ISBN 9780648899655.

Just one Bee was published in 2021 but because it was entered for the CBCA Picture Book of the Year I haven't been able to talk about it until now. Book Week and the announcement of the CBCA Award winners for 2022 happened last month. As a CBCA judge I had to wait to share these books until the judging was completed.

Just one Bee is a 2022 CBCA Picture Book of the Year Honour Book.

Here in Australia, by now, most children in Primary schools are sure to have heard Just one Bee read aloud in a library or classroom but I know people from other places in the world read my blog so I do hope you can find Just one Bee in your local library, school or book store.

Here are the judges comments: 

The language here is poetic and balanced, and the illustrations use a limited palette and stark design to create an arid effect in this flower-less dystopia. There is a strong sense of place with the environment itself developed as a key character. On the surface, this is the story of three bees who question their own power and place in creating a more sustainable future. But these characters are rich representations of climate deniers and activists in the real world and the book helps readers to consider their own role in climate change and the importance of resilience and working together to make a positive impact. The shifts in tone, from bleak and barren to vibrant fields of flowers, are effective and create a sense of hope and optimism.

You can see books and art by Christopher Nielsen here. Read more about one of our newest Australian publishers - Dirt Lane Press. You can find teachers notes for Just One Bee on their site. 

I would pair this book with another dystopian picture book from Australia:

The Duck and the Darklings

Of course you will also want to read other books about bees - and there are hundreds to choose from and here are some other companion books:

Links to blog posts: How to Bee; Where the river runs Gold; The Thing.  For older students in Grade 6 I also highly recommend you try to find Sparrow Girl by Sara Pennypacker (2009). There are so many terrific books you can read about bees. Here is my Pinterest.

My two favourite non fiction bee titles are:

A Bear's guide to Beekeeping by Pip Cornell illustrated by Alex G Griffiths

This book is filled with facts about bees and honey (mostly on the end papers). The main pages of the book are so funny as the author tries to teach a bear how to become a beekeeper. This is a perfect book for your youngest readers and it's a fun guide book for bears too or one huge bear in this case. We all know bears love honey. This guide book covers all the things a bear (and human) needs to know about bees - finding bees; building a hive; setting up a hive; the role of the queen bee; and how to use all that honey. AND you are sure to adore the twist on the final page too. 

Image Source: Alex G Griffiths

Blurb: Are you a bear considering keeping your very own bees? Can't get enough of delicious honey? Then this is the book for you! With invaluable tips such as how to make a tiny crown for your queen bee, you can become a master beekeeper in no time! Learn how to care for your new buzzy friends in easy-to-follow steps - but don't forget to absolutely never hug the bees. A spoof beekeeping manual for bears from debut author Pip Cornell and rising star Alex G Griffiths.

Readers will enjoy studying the illustrations throughout, a humorous must for any beekeeping family, and of course for every library shelf. Books for Keeps

Here are a set of teachers notes from Andersen Press for A Bear's guide to Beekeeping. It is a measure of the importance of bees in our world that there are SO many books for children about bees. This one A bear's guide to Beekeeping has such an inviting cover and every page has tiny details which will delight your young reading companion. The paperback edition of this book will be published in 2023. I recommend you add this to your book shopping list.  Here is my Pinterest collection.   I have previously talked about these:

Bee

The Book of Bees

If you are looking to add bee books to your library take a look at this post from Children's Books Daily - Megan is crazy and bees! And here is another post. 

If Only ... by Mies van Hout translated by David Colmer

"The child thought, 

If only I were a butterfly.

Then I could fly everywhere."

"The whirligig beetle thought,

If only I were a firefly.

Then I'd never be scared of the dark."

You might like to begin with my previous post about the wonderful Dutch illustrator Mies van Hout.

Which insect would you like to be? Stick insects blend in; bees have lots of friends; ladybugs are adorable; and grasshoppers can jump over things.

If only ... is such a terrific title. So much to talk and think about.  If you love the illustrations of Eric Carle then you are sure to equally love this book. On the final pages, Mies gives her readers a page of instructions on how to make collage art. She also has a double page spread with extra facts about each of the insects found in this book. I didn't know about whirligig beetles - they have this name because they swim in fast circles on the surface of the water.

Publisher blurb Pajama Press: What child has not daydreamed about having wings like a butterfly? But secretly, the flashy butterfly yearns for a stick insect’s privacy. And the stick insect wants to swim like a whirligig beetle.  One after the other, the denizens of bestselling author-illustrator Mies van Hout’s vibrant garden landscape wish to be like somebody else. From the glowing firefly to the capable spider to the adorable ladybugs, each one brings something to be admired. And when the dragonfly wishes to be like a child who can run, play, laugh, and build, a world of possibilities opens up.  A gentle but effective story for social emotional learning, If Only… allows children to reach their own conclusions and acknowledge that while it’s common to compare ourselves to others, it’s best to remember and celebrate what we ourselves can do.

If you speak Dutch here is a video where Mies talks about her book. The Dutch title is Was ik maar... You can see the ants from this book - I think they are terrific.

This new book (published 2021) is quite expensive here in Australia but if you have a little money I highly recommend adding this book to the collection of a preschool or primary school library. Here is a very detailed teacher guide from Pajama Press (Canada).

This gentle celebration of differences also promotes an appreciation of others’ strengths and quietly emphasises relationships within the animal kingdom. Kirkus

A visual delight, this picture book offers openings for conversation about wishes, predictions, and one’s own enviable strengths. School Library Journal

Other reviewers use words such as luminous, radiant, vivid and thought-provoking.

It seems obvious to pair this book with the books of Eric Carle and other illustrators who use collage but another possibility for a book to read along side If Only could be this very old book about being happy with who you are - The Mouse with the too long tail. Sadly this book, which I adore, is long out of print but you might find a copy in a library.  

One more thing - here is the bee page - it is scrumptious.