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    Beholding Bee
    Unavailable
    Beholding Bee
    Unavailable
    Beholding Bee
    Audiobook8 hours

    Beholding Bee

    Written by Kimberly Newton Fusco

    Narrated by Ariadne Meyers

    4.5/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    Bee is an orphan who lives with a carnival and sleeps in the back of a truck. Every day she endures taunts for the birthmark on her face, though she prefers to think of it as a precious diamond.

    Then one day a scruffy dog shows up, as unwanted as she, and Bee realizes she must find a home for them both. She discovers a cozy house with gingerbread trim that reminds her of frosting, where two mysterious women, Mrs. Swift and Mrs. Potter, take her in. Whoever these women are, they matter. They matter to Bee. And they are helping Bee realize that she, too, matters to the world-if only she will let herself be a part of it.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherPenguin Random House Audio
    Release dateFeb 12, 2013
    ISBN9780385361286
    Unavailable
    Beholding Bee

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    Reviews for Beholding Bee

    4.5/5

    42 ratings12 reviews

    What did you think?

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    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 4/5
      Cute story!
    • 4/5
      This book was a slow burn. Bee's life has not been easy. When she finds herself on her own at a young age, a woman who she's seen her whole life shows up and gives her a home when she needs it most. Thing is nobody else can see her aunts. She's raised in a traveling show during WWII, and while she has some great people looking out for her, there are some nasty ones too. She's born with a large birthmark on her face which she thinks make her seem a freak. Eventually she learns she's got lots of good going for her too.
    • 4/5
      I never thought I'd find myself enjoying a book about a young girl in the 1940's who sees ghosts and ends up in her own fairytale life. Born in a traveling carnival, Beatrice yearns for her own home. Her parents dead, she loses all those she's grown close to as World War II alters the traveling carnival industry. Beatrice also struggles with acceptance because of a large birthmark on her face. What had been considered by most to be an imaginary friend, the "lady in the orange, floppy hat" leads Beatrice to a much happier, more stable life. This book would appeal to a tween with good reading skills or a teen that likes stories that are not so dark or violent.
    • 4/5
      middlegrade fiction; being teased at school for very visible birthmark having ghost friends that no one else can see historic fiction (ww2 era).
    • 3/5
      Narrated by Ariadne Meyers. Twelve-year-old Bee is an orphan who's been raised on the carnival circuit by a young woman named Pauline. Bee loves Pauline who accepts and loves her completely, fondly describing Bee's port-wine stain on her cheek as a kiss from an angel. Sensitive Bee is very self-conscious about the stain, hiding it with her hair. But the carnival breaks off for other locations and Bee and Pauline are separated. Bee stands fearfully on the threshold of having to rely on her inner strength, with the help of two grandmotherly ghosts who hold the key to Bee's past. Meyers reads with a sweetness and compassion that Bee's story needs. Bee's transformation seemed a bit long as was the story, and the grandmother ghosts felt conveniently plopped in there. In the end, though, Bee's happy ending was satisfying.
    • 4/5
      Set in the 1940s, we meet Bee, a lonely girl living with a traveling circus that finds it's way into Vermont. Bee, cared for by a beautiful young woman who's taken her under her wing after Bee's parents died in a car accident, really doesn't know of another way of living, even though her and Pauline dream of moving into a real, live home someday, complete with a white-picket fence and gingerbread trim. Bee has to stay clear of the circus show owner, Ellis, however, as he has his eyes on her and her birthmark. Her diamond, as she calls it, and the source of much staring, teasing, bullying, and insecurity. Bee hides it behind her hair, pulling it tight across her cheek, as she endures the stares and cat-calls of the local townsfolk. Ellis literally drools, imaging all the money he could make by charging folks a nickel to take a peek at "the freak". Someday, someday.

      And yet, there is much more to this tender story than side-show antics. After beautiful Pauline runs off with the first boyfriend she's ever had, Bee decides to leave too, taking her scruffy little dog and a runt of a pig, to get away from Ellis, and to search for home. Following the "lady in the orange hat", Bee discovers an abandoned old house to live in with her imaginary aunts. All seems to be going well, until a prying neighbor starts asking too many questions and Bee finds herself in jeopardy of losing the only real home she has ever known.

      With this striking cover, this book will mainly appeal to girls in grades 4-6. Bee makes for strong heroine, and young readers will be turning the pages to find out the ending to Bee's compelling story.
    • 4/5
      Beholding Bee is a story of courage, friendship and self awareness. The book takes place in the early 1940's when the world is still in the midst of WWII. Bee who has been orphaned after her parents were killed in an acccident, is being raised by Pauline who is part of the carnival her parents worked for. Bee is a bright young girl who is self conscious about the large birthmark on her face which she refers to as her diamond. Pauline takes good care of Bee but the life of a carny isn't an easy one. Ellis, the owner of the carnival is a bully and treats all his workers poorly including Bee. When Pauline leaves to manage a carnival on upstate New York, Bee decides to make it on her own. She travels until she happens upon a house with gingerbread trim and moves in with the two elderly women that live there, who are only visible to her and her puppy, Peabody. While living with her Aunts Bee begins to grow and finds the strength to stand up for herself. This story is quite a gem and will appeal to fans of historical fiction and the author, Claire Vanderpool.
    • 5/5
      What a sweet book. I'm so glad a friend let me borrow this so I could read it. I like it when books that have important messages for kids (and adults...), don't beat you over the head with the message. Books like this one, that assume the reader is intelligent and can think for themselves will be around for a long time.

      The language was beautiful, the characters were wonderfully written, and it was all quite magical.
    • 5/5
      Beatrice is an 11 year old orphan who travels with the carnival and lives with Pauline, who looks after her, in a hauling truck. During the days the two of them work in the hot dog cart and at night they read stories, swim, and dream of finding a real home. They have a family of sorts including Bobby who looks after the pigs and Eldora the fortune teller. In charge is Ellis who runs the show and who is keeping Bee around until she can earn her keep in the look-see booth. Bee has a diamond shaped birthmark on her face and this is an oddity that Ellis is sure people will pay to look at. Life is hard but tolerable for Bee. She spends a lot of time avoiding the cruel taunts of children who visit the carnival. Things begin to change for Bee when Pauline finds a boyfriend and leaves to help run another carnival. Bobby who has been teaching her to run leaves soon after and with Ellis threatening her new dog friend, Peabody, Bee decides it is time for her to find a new life as well. She goes on the run and finds a house the color of buttercups, with blueberry shutters. It has gingerbread trim on all the windows that looks like frosting dripping down. Inside the house are two elderly ladies who take Bee and Peabody and Cordelia the pig in offering them a home. One of the ladies is the lady with the orange flappy hat who has been visiting Bee for a while at the Carnival and who nobody else ever seems to see. With the encouragement of the ladies Bee learns to make her way in the world. She attends school and must interact with other adults and children. She makes a friend, discovers herself and learns to face challenges from those who taunt her. I love the stories told by Kimberly Newton Fusco and this may be my new favourite. It is beautifully told. I could hear the sounds of the carnival, I could see the school room and I could smell the roses around the cottage. I fell in love with the characters; they made me both laugh and cry. I waited with anticipation to find out what would happen to Bee and if things would turn out the way I thought they should. I wanted to know if Bee would ever understand why nobody else could see her mysterious carers. This story is set in 1942 and a background of wartime rationing and men away gave context to the behaviours and attitudes of the people Bee encounters. It all comes together in a story that is just beautiful and simple and a pleasure to read. Oh and I especially liked the dogs name ;-)
    • 5/5
      Young Bee is an orphan. When her parents are killed while working for a carnival she is allowed to stay on with Pauline. Pauline raises her until their boss sends Pauline away. Then her friend Bobby, who runs the pig races goes off to work in a factory. Bee has always felt alone, but never as alone as she does now. She is born with a birthmark that covers one side of her face. This subjects her to taunts and teasing. Now her protectors are gone. Bee decides it is time to leave the carnival and find a permanent place to stay. She and a dog she had found set off until they find the perfect gingerbread looking house. There she finds Mrs. Swift and Mrs. Potter. Mrs. Potter has been visiting her since her parents died. The problem is no one else can see her or Mrs. Swift. Through their love and lessons Bee must learn to stand on her own and become the person she was born to be. You must read this book. I was sucked in emotionally form the beginning. You want to pity Bee, but at the same time you want to scream at her to stand up to those who bully her. It is a story that takes place during the time when America is at war with Japan. Families are separated and people are bullied for all kinds of things. Being different brought out the bully in people you wouldn't expect to be bullies. There are lessons for everyone to learn. Kids will love this book because they will be able to relate to the different types of bullying. They will learn because they will be able to sympathize with the victims. This is a book that not only kids but adults will enjoy. If I could make it a rule every school would read this book at the beginning of the year. In many ways it reminded me of the book Wonder. If you liked that book you will LOVE this one.
    • 4/5
      This was a fast, enjoyable read. A bit hard to believe in places, but I guess that's why it's called fiction.Reads like Because of Winn-Dixie mixed with a story involving friendly ghosts.
    • 5/5
      Background: Bee is a young girl who works for a traveling show. Her parent died when she was about 4 about she has since lived with the show and a teenager named Pauline. Bee is not your normal girl, she is special. she has a diamond on her face, a birthmark. She hates people staring but sometimes they cannot help it.Review: This was a story about self-discovery, growth, and acceptance. Beatrice, Bee for short, does not know how to deal with how her appearance is taken by others, so she has turned inward. The book is her struggle through this time of bullies, not just children her age, but adults too and how to stand up to them. Bee must learn that independence and strength is all she needs to succeed and become a better person.I loved this book, I did not want to get out the car (where I listen to my audiobooks). The storytelling was wonderful, from Bee's point of view, it was a combination of frustration, sadness, happiness, and stubbornness all rolled into one package, Bee.The author uses some fantasy, some history, and some playful takes on coping that were expressed well.The one issue that I had, was that I felt like a few things were left unresolved in the end. Bee is able to complete her journey, but in the process some loose ends were not cleared up.I would recommend this book to anyone, Middle Grade readers and adults and teens who like contemporary reading. It was very nice