24. The Hive Detectives

The Hive Detectives by Loree Griffin Burns (Houghton Miflin Harcourt) 2010

Genre

Non-fiction; Science

Honors

SB&F Prize for Excellence in Science Books Middle Grades 2011

Review

Burns' book details the work done by scientists studying colony collapse disorder (CCD) in beehives.  The book is framed with a portrait of Mary Duane -- an amateur beekeeper and winner of a blue ribbon for her honey.  Through its depiction of Duane the book shows the process of bee-keeping and honey-making in addition to its story of CCD.  The book then describes how Dave Hackenberg first discovered CCD was affecting his own hives.  Burns then details the work of four scientists: each following up on a different hypothesis for the cause of colony collapse.  Dennis van Engelsdorp studied infected and healthy hives to determine the differences at work.  Jeff Pettis looked for hive pests.  Diane Cox-Foster examined bee viruses.  And Maryann Frazier studied the effects of pesticides on bees.

profiles of the scientists

Opinion

In addition to highlighting the kind of work that individual scientists do in the field, Burns' book gives a sense of how important bees are to the growth of our food.  The book skillfully balances lessons about bees -- their hive lifestyle, their characteristics, and their importance to the food supply -- and the detective work carried out by scientists: a fascinating read with so much information that Burns had to include an appendix just to share some of the things she'd learned that didn't fit elsewhere in the book.

Ideas

The book would be great in a science class, showing the everyday work of scientists in the field.  That two of the scientists in the book are women is also encouraging because it can show female students and patrons that careers in science are a viable option. Each of the four scientists discussed have different backgrounds and interests and can give children a sense of the kinds of work possible in science.