The Crusader

The Secret Life of Bees follows Lily Owens, a young girl whose life was tragically altered by the death of her mother. The novel picks up days before Lily's fourteenth birthday in the summer of 1964, the same summer the Civil Rights Act was signed into law. The book is et in South Carolina, where racial tensions still strain the relationships between blacks and whites, Lily and Rosaleen. Rosaleen is a strong black woman, working for Lily's family and responsible for taking care of Lily, and is set upon by three white racists. Rosaleen's stubborn retorts to their jeers lands her in jail, and suddenly Lily finds herself uprooted, running away from home with Rosaleen and seeking refuge with three black women beekeepers.
At some points, the writing is so descriptive and insightful, you can almost feel the South Carolina humidity and its easy to get lost in the world of beekeeping and Black Madonna worshiping, but in other areas the plot lags and lacks the fuel and excitement to immerse the reader in wondering what comes next. The characters are wonderfully written and bring a diversity and quirkiness to the story. The novel is an interesting character study but may become difficult to read when the pace slows down. Though this novel can be slow at times, it is a must read for anyone who appriciates history, civil rights, or just good literature.

Each year, students are required to read a list of books over the summer. Students must complete assignments pertaining to these books and will have some sort of assessment once they return to school in the fall. The goal of these assignments is to prepare students to come back to school with new material already fresh in their minds. Reading can boost a student's vocabulary and improve their reading skills. Over the summer it would be easy for students to just forget about schoolwork, but summer reading assignments assures that students at Lansdale Catholic get a head start on next year's work, making it easier for students and teachers to get back in the rhythm of the school day.