How to Bee should become a beloved classic as it has a timeless grace. Peony is almost 10 years old, and can’t wait to join the ranks of ’the bees’: children who manually pollinate the fruit trees, now that all the real bees are extinct. Although this is set in a near future, it has the feel of tough times during the depression. Many reviewers have commented on how Australian this novel is, but I disagree. I think MacDibble has created a setting that could be anywhere in the world. Peony is extraordinarily plucky: a 21st Century Anne with an A, and like Anne of Green Gables she faces many hardships, but also makes many true friends along the way.
This is a real gem, highly recommended for readers 9 years and up. I hope it wins the slew of awards it deserves.