The Royal Bee

 Review

Common Sense Media says

Some kids will enjoy the quiet mood.
greenON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
yellowPAUSE: Know your child; some content
may not be right for some kids.
redOFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
not for kidsNOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age.

Find out more

Quality
 
Sometimes media can be age appropriate but a real waste of time. Our star rating assesses the media's overall quality.

Find out more

Parents say

Not yet rated

Kids say

Not yet rated

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that there's no objectionable content in this story of a poor boy striving to improve his family's life.


What's the story?

Young Sung-ho lives with his impoverished mother in nineteenth-century Korea, a time when only wealthy boys were allowed in school. When the school bell beckons Sung-ho and he is barred from entering class, the boy plants himself outside the rice-paper door and learns the master's lessons.

He is later rewarded for his persistence and intelligence. In a note that prefaces the story authors Frances and Ginger Park write that their book was inspired by the true story of their grandfather's experiences.


Is it any good?

 

Brave and determined Song-ho is so good, so kind, and so determined to become a scholar that he hardly seems real, and his mother, his teacher, and his classmates feel equally remote. Readers may ask if Song-ho's mother ever wondered what her son did all day, of if any of Song-ho's privileged classmates ever resented the boy's acceptance into school. Or how the teacher managed to break school rules and accept Song-ho as a student without suffering consequences. The inconsistencies in the illustration are frequent and noticeable.

Despite the limitations of the characters' emotional lives, the story is an inspirational one for children, and perhaps for teachers too. Child readers cannot miss the message that an education is essential for a child's secure future. Song-ho comes right out and asks the question, "How can I grow up to earn a good living for my mother when I cannot read or write?"


Sign Up Message
Sign up for our weekly newsletter
Each week we send a customized newsletter to our parent and teen subscribers. Parents can customize their settings to receive recommendations and parent tips based on their kids’ ages. Teens receive a version just for them with the latest reviews and top picks for movies, video games, apps, music, books, and more.
Please enter an email address.
Please check your email address for possible typos.
Sorry, you must be 13 or older to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
Sign me up!

What families can talk about

Families can talk about Song-ho's determination. What kind of future does he face without an education? How does he earn the respect of his teachers and classmates?


This review was written by Whitney Stewart

There aren't any reviews yet. Be the first to review this title below.


This review was written by Whitney Stewart
Author:Frances Park
Illustrator:Christopher Zhong-Yuan Zhang
Book type:Fiction
Genre:Family Life
Publisher:Boyds Mills Press
Publication date:February 1, 2000
Number of pages:27
Paperback price:$8.95
Publisher's recommended age(s):4 - 7

This review was written by Whitney Stewart
 

Review It

Share your review with others

Hang on! You need to be a member to post your review.
A safe community is important to us. Please observe our guidelines.

Register now to save reviews and advice articles to your personal lists!


About our rating system
ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids.
OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
Learning ratings
BEST: Really engaging, great learning approach.
GOOD: Pretty engaging, good learning approach.
FAIR: Somewhat engaging, OK learning approach.
NOT FOR LEARNING: Not recommended for learning.

Great alternatives handpicked by our editors

 

vote now

Will you read The Royal Bee?


Already read it? What do you think?

 

Been There? Tell us about it