Jay Hosler

Retelling: Nyuki, a particularly anxious young larva is guided through her fears by her older and wiser sister Dvorah to become an older/wiser mentor to another young bee, Melissa, herself after (spoiler alert) Dvorah dies defending the hive.
Thoughts and feelings: This book is very carefully researched and written. Apart from personifying the animals and a spattering of witty science puns intending to capture and hold the attention of audiences young and old, the author, Jay Hosler, stays true to bee behaviors. I learned a lot and because it had such a nice story arch, I'm more likely to remember what I learned. I read this book aloud to my son (7 years) and he loved it. He was fascinated by the big bloom theory and the character of Zambur who talks in the third person. As we were reading, a whole lot of questions about bees were raised. The author answered many in a strictly nonfiction chapter at the end of the book.… (meer)

Much of what we understand about how brain cells work is thanks to the scientific artwork of Santiago Ramon y Cajal. But based on his rascally childhood, one might not have predicted his professional success and contributions to science or that he would win the Nobel Prize. Hosler drew on Santiago's memoir to portray a rambunctious boy who loved drawing but also got into plenty of hilarious scrapes pursuing what he loved. Most readers will not have heard of Santiago Ramon y Cajal but by book's end he will become a historical figure as memorable and lively as the class cutup.… (meer)