The Secret Life of Bees follows 14-year-old Lily Owens in the turbulent South of 1964. When her housekeeper, Rosaleen, upsets the local racists in town by exercising her newly protected right to vote, Lily takes the opportunity to go on the lam with Rosaleen to find answers about her own mother. This is a beautifully written novel that brings to life the divisive racism of the deep South during the 1960s, while also focusing on healing from the inside out, love, forgiveness, and acceptance of things we cannot change.
The Watsons go to Birmingham - 1963 by Christopher Paul Curtis
The ordinary interactions and everyday routines of the Watsons, an African American family living in Flint, Michigan, are drastically changed after they go to visit Grandma in Alabama in the summer of 1963.
Saratoga Reads events included a family program titled “The (Not So) Secret Life of Bees,” which explored the importance of honeybees and their role in local agriculture. The program was presented as part of Skidmore College’s annual Community Day and Kids’ Fair, which also featured arts and crafts, games, musical entertainment by Skidmore groups, and master balloon artist Wizzie. Other Saratoga Reads events included a screening of the film of The Secret Life of Bees, starring Queen Latifah, Jennifer Hudson, and Dakota Fanning; and a packed fundraising dinner at Hattie’s Restaurant.
Bee-themed crafts and information draw an enthusiastic crowd to a Saratoga Reads Kids Fair at Skidmore College.
Celebration Image: year5beekidfair.jpg
Young fans make their own bees with the help of Skidmore Students and Saratoga Reads volunteers.
