Honey

by Sarah Weeks Narrated by Rebecca Soler

Overview

For a girl like Melody and a dog like Mo, life can be both sticky and sweet.



Melody has lived in Royal, Indiana, for as long as she can remember. It's been just her and her father, and she's been okay with that. But then she overhears him calling someone Honey -- and suddenly it feels like everyone in Royal has a secret. It's up to Melody and her best friend, Nick, to piece together the clues and discover why Honey is being hidden.

 

Meanwhile, a dog named Mo is new to Royal. He doesn't remember much from when he was a puppy . . . but he keeps having dreams of a girl he is bound to meet someday. This girl, he's sure, will change everything.

 

In Honey, Sarah Weeks introduces two characters -- one a girl, one a dog-- who are reaching back further than their memories in order to figure out where they came from and where they're going. It's a total treat from beginning to end.

 

Editorial Reviews

Publishers Weekly

12/22/2014
In spite of never having known her mother, 10-year-old Melody Bishop leads a pleasant small-town life in Royal, Ind., playing word games with her good-natured father (a humanities teacher) and hanging around with her best friend, Nick Woo. When Melody begins to suspect her father has fallen in love, she determines to find out who it is. Interwoven with Melody's story are two others: that of Bee-Bee Churchill, the owner of the town's new beauty salon, the Bee Hive, and Bee-Bee's 10-year-old French bulldog, Mo, who has his own significant backstory; the three threads eventually intersect in predictable but pleasing ways. Minor intrigue and misunderstandings drive the slender plot, but Weeks (Pie) succeeds in creating an emotionally credible and moving resolution, as well as a small cast of realistic and engaging characters to flesh out the town of Royal. Readers who like words will enjoy the list of 100 nail-polish names Melody creates for the Bee Hive, which concludes this straightforward, affecting read. Ages 8–12. Agent: Holly McGhee, Pippin Properties. (Jan.)

From the Publisher

Praise for Pie:* "Weeks deftly leavens moments of hilarity with the process of grieving in this sweet coming-of-age story in which Alice learns from Aunt Polly to follow her heart and to open it as well. Readers will close the book with a satisfied sigh and may seek out an adult to help them bake a pie." — School Library Journal, starred review* "What do you get when you take some scrumptious pie recipes, stir in a mix-up of a mystery involving an overweight cat and a legacy, then add a sly satirical nod to the Newbery Medal? This irresistible confection. . . . Warm, delicious and filling." — Kirkus Reviews, starred review"The text richly describes the pie-making (and eating) process and includes multiple mouth-watering recipes for readers to try themselves. This would make a tasty readaloud for classrooms or families; stock up on pie ingredients first." — BCCB"This enjoyable chapter book is a real charmer." — Booklist"Stimulates both sweet tooths and sweet nostalgia." — Publishers Weekly

School Library Journal - Audio

06/01/2015
Gr 3–6—Ten-year-old Melody and her widower father have always been extremely close. So Melody is shocked when she overhears part of a phone conversation where he calls someone "Honey." Melody and her best friend, Nick, are determined to uncover the mystery woman's identity, and information from Melody's annoying six-year-old neighbor, Teeny, leads them to the newest beauty salon in Royal, IN: The Bee Hive. The point of view shifts throughout this story, and at the Bee Hive, listeners hear from its proprietor, Bee Bee Churchill, and her small dog, Mo. Each character's separate story line ultimately connects in a satisfying, if predictable, conclusion. This sweet story is voiced expertly by Rebecca Soler, and she does a wonderful job capturing each character's unique personality. Listeners always know who is talking, and her pacing keeps the story moving forward. VERDICT This title will appeal to middle grade students who enjoy realistic fiction and animal fiction titles.—Anne Bozievich, Friendship Elementary School, Glen Rock, PA

School Library Journal

01/01/2015
Gr 3–5—At the center of Weeks's sweetly titled novel, is Melody, a 10-year-old girl whose mother died when she was born and who has spent her whole life with her father in Royal, IN. As the book opens, Melody notices that her father is distracted—burning food, whistling "You Are My Sunshine," and, most concerning, calling someone "Honey." A visit from Teeny Nelson, her six-year-old neighbor, confirms Melody's suspicion that her father has, in Teeny's words, "been bitten by the love bug." Along with her friend, Nick Woo, and a cast of winning supporting characters, Melody sets out to discover "Honey's" identity. At the same time, in passages that may be confusing to younger readers, a dog named Mo has a mystery of his own to solve. He dreams about a girl he knows he's supposed to be with, but first he has to find her. Much of the novel's action takes place in the Bee Hive, a local salon owned by a woman named Bee-Bee Churchill who can fill in the missing pieces of Melody's story—and is known for her homemade nail polish. Weeks has a good eye for the details of Melody's life—her anxiety about school, her love for her father and grandfather, and her need to learn more about her mother. Recommend this warm and good-hearted novel to fans of Kate Dicamillo's Because of Winn-Dixie (Candlewick, 2000).—Shelley Sommer, Inly School, Scituate, MA

FEBRUARY 2015 - AudioFile

It's almost impossible to select narrator Rebecca Soler's best character in this gem for young listeners. Ten-year-old Melody Bishop's mother died when she was a baby. Since then, it's always been just she and her dad—until she hears him call someone “honey” over the phone. Soler is self-assured and bright as Melody, her best friend, Nick, and her kind dad. Other memorable characterizations include those of a bratty six-year-old neighbor named Teeny and Grandpo Bishop, who goes to the garage “to look for a hammer" when he's going for a smoke. The story's rich text is enhanced by Soler's delivery, with verbs and adjectives getting all the necessary verve. S.G.B. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2015, Portland, Maine

Kirkus Reviews

2014-11-04
Melody Bishop's peaceful life with her widower father is upset when the annoying 6-year-old next door comes home from the beauty parlor with some gossip.The 10-year-old has already noticed her father's increased distraction and a new tendency to whistle, so when Teeny Nelson reports that "Henry's been bitten by the love bug," Melody is avid to know more. With her best friend, biracial Nick Woo, at her side, she goes to the Bee Hive beauty salon to investigate. What she discovers there rocks her world not once but twice, as salon owner Bee-Bee has information about Melody's mother, who died in childbirth and about whom her father never speaks. Weeks gets the small moments right: Melody's exasperation with Teeny and the way it turns to sympathy when the little girl's mother threatens a spanking; her affectionate resignation when her grandfather, who has emphysema, sneaks out to the garage for a smoke. And Melody's close relationship with her loving father is sweetly evoked. But other elements fail to cohere. Obvious misdirection leads Melody to a critical misunderstanding that never amounts to more than a plot contrivance, and the mystical visions of Bee-Bee's dog, Mo, who has an unknown connection to Melody, strain credulity. In all, it's an unsuccessful follow-up to Weeks' Pie (2011), but word-loving Melody is appealing, and her appended list of nail-polish colors is somewhat amusing. (Fiction. 7-10)

Product Details

BN ID:	2940170536153
Publisher:	Scholastic, Inc.
Publication date:	01/27/2015
Edition description:	Unabridged
Age Range:	8 - 11 Years

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