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The title: The secret life of bee`s Author: Sue Monk Kidd

Page 1-25 (#1) why did you select this novel? I chose this book because it sounded interesting to read, and I liked the description on the back how they talk about Lily Owen`s life and what happened in the past.

Whats going on as the story begins? The main character named Lily Owen was laying on her bed and looking at the bee`s flying around in her room, thinking to herself how they make that buzzing sound. She heard the bee`s tunneling in her bedroom wall, she was imagining the bee`s making a honey comb in there so that she can taste it. When she was 4 years old her mother passed away so her neighbor Rosaleen takes care of her by cooking and cleaning the house. One day Rosaleen told Lily that " those bee`s might one day sing you to death." As Lily was thinking about that quote she thought about dying and going to heaven where her mother is. She also has a father, but lily never called him father because it did not suit him instead she calls him T.Ray.

What is the initial or first problem faced by the main character? when Lily was 4 years old her mother died, but Lily can not really remember how. She remember`s that her parents were fighting about something then she heard a gun shot but thats it. One day when Lily was selling her father`s peach`s, he came up to her and said "I think its time we had a talk about your mother." She was surprised her father asked Lily if she remembered how she died Lily told T.Ray that she doesn't know much but all she can remember is her seeing then fight and hearing a gun shot. Then he said "do you remember and your mother fighting and you holding a gun shooting your mother?" Lily was shocked and T.Ray left. 7/10 Page 25- 48 (#2) overall story Rosaleen is watching T.V and sees people voting to see who will be the next president, Rosaleen also wants to vote but she is a person with color on her skin so she cant,But she wants to be the very first colored person to vote so Lily and Rosaleen walk all the way to Tibron. On the way they pass a casino and see two white men playing poker Rosaleen accidentally spills some juice on one mans foot and they beat her up and take her to jail.After a while T.Ray come to pick Lily up.Lily was really worried about Rosaleen She went to visit her again but she was gone. She asked the police and he said that she went to the hospital

What information did you need to know before reading the novel? I needed to know what the plot of the story was, and what the character`s names and personality they had. I also needed to know why the title is "the secret life of bee`s"

What's going on as the story begins? Lily is living with her father and Rosaleen doing normal everyday stuff. One day Rosaleen watches t.v about people voting for who the next president will be, Rosaleen wants to vote too so Lily and Rosaleen walks to a different city. While there walking they see two white men playing poker and drinking beer, Rosaleen spills beer on one guys shoe and goes to jail. the white men then hit her head and run away. Lily goes to help Rosaleen and they both run away from jail.

Who is telling the story? How does this person’s perspective effect the way the story is told? Lily Owen is telling the story. It effects the story because, it is being told by Lily`s point of view. If the person changes then the story changes how it is being told. 8/10 section 3 pg 48 - 101 overall story Rosaleen was sent to jail because she spilt juice on a white person's foot. Lily Owen wanted to help her so went went to the police station and phoned the peach factory to send some peaches to the station. While they were being sent to the station Rosaleen and Lily sneeked out through the back, and made a run for it. Then Rosaleen said now we have to hitchhike to go to Tibron so that i could be the first colored person to vote for who the president will be.when they got to the road a colored man was kind enough to give them a ride, But He had to drop them off 3 miles from Tibron because he was going to a farm. When they got off it was already dark so they thought of sleeping by they river, They were also thirsty so they drank the water from the river, and did not care what was inside it. hours later it was morning and Lily realized that Rosaleen was lots of cuts and bruses on her arms and legs. she didnt want to wake her up so she thought of looking at pictures on black mary that her mother used to have. When Rosaleen woke up the two walked to a town that was really old. Lily went inside a restaurant to by some food and drinks. Then Lily noticed a honey jar that had the same picture of the one that she has of black mary, she asked the cashier where they bought it and said that they bought it at a house near by her name is August. Lily and Rosaleen went to August`s house and it was very pink! when they went inside they saw a person with a white dress and gingery eyes. she asked " hello do you need something?" then another women came out with a green dress. both of them had colored skin. Lily answered " are you August?" Then the two women said no i am may and i am june. The two of them called August from the back. August asked what they wanted and Lily said... w, we ran away from home and dont have a place to go! everything went still. Then august said "then why don't you stay here until you have a place to go but you have to work here to pay it off" Lily and Rosaleen agreed and stayed at Augusts bee house.

Describe any new characters that are introduced? What is their purpose? The new people`s names are June, May and August. They are important to this story because they help Rosaleen and Lily by letting them stay at there home.

Is the novel believable? Yes i think it is believable because they are talking about there families and there problems and if there hungry or need help in surviving.

What new things are added to the original problem as the novel progresses? the original problem was that Rosaleen was going to go and vote herself to see who the next president would be but she got in jail. then the problem next was finding a house so that they can live. Now the problem is June does`nt really like Lily and Rosaleen and thinks that they should call the police or take them back home with T.Ray.

8/10 section 4 pg 101 - 188 over all story Lily and Rosaleen have been staying at August`s house for almost a week now, and they are used to there life style. The next day Zach (August`s helper) comes to help, it was the first time Lily and Zach meet. They got along with each other and helped out August with the bee's. The next day Zach and Lily needed to go and restock some honey at a far away farm, so the two of them drove away. when they came back they saw Rosaleen moving her stuff up to Mays room, Rosaleen said it was because May is sometimes scared of the dark and the cot makes her back ache. Lily was lonely that night and started to think about her mother and T.Ray. The next day Lily and August were talking about Augusts mother and how they found a black Mary. August said she found it from her mother`s cards, and reading lots of book`s. After lunch that day Zach and Lily went to hang out with Zach`s teenage black friends, they saw some white kids so one of them threw a bottle at them. The white kids asked who it was but none of them answered so they went to jail.

Is there a message or main theme emerging in the book? How is it shown? I think the theme of this book is love because August and Lily were talking about what they love and in the end Neil and June are getting married

Why would you (or why wouldn't you) recommend this novel to a friend? I would recommend this story to a friend because it is a very nice story how it is very realistic

What is the setting of the novel? Is the setting important or could the novel be happening anywhere? Why? The setting of this novel is in a bee house i think this story can be happening anywhere where there are jails,bee`s,schools,and voting places 8/10 section 5 pg 189- 302 Lily told August about Zach, so August phoned Zach`s mother and took him put of jail. The next day Lily saw May putting marshmallows and graham crackers on the ground to keep the cockroaches away, she reminded her of her mother because she used to do that as well, Lily asked May if she knew a person named Deborah Owen. May said "yes, i have known her when she was 7 years old." Lily was really shocked at this and ran to August to ask about her mother. August said that she has been baby-sitting her when Deborah was 7-14 years old. August showed a picture of her to Lily. Lily started to cry and told August that her father,T.Ray is not dead,she just ran away from home. August told Lily that Deborah and T.Ray met each other at high school and got married. After 4 years later she got sick of him so she came back to the bee house, But she did not bring her baby Lily. Lily was shocked and started to hate her mother. But after looking at the picture again Lily thought that she was a very good mother because of the way she was holding Lily. That day Lily phoned T.Ray, He was really mad at her and wanted to know where she was, but Lily did not tell him and hung up the phone. Two days later T.Ray came to the bee house and wanted to take Lily home, But August wanted Lily to stay at the bee house and go to school with Zach. T.Ray said fine and left. The next day was June and Neil`s wedding day, they all were happy and lived happily ever after.

What plot twists or unexpected events happen as the novel goes on? At first June did like Neil but did not want to marry him because a long time ago June was supposed to marry another person but he did not come to the wedding. But now she id going to et married to Neil.

How does the author get you to read on or hold your interest? She makes me hold interest by changing the plot and adding more new characters

What is the climax of the novel? I think the climax of this novel is when August and Lily talk about Deborah 8/10

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