Finalist in the 2010 NZ Post Children’s Book Awards.

Finalist in the 2010 Sir Julius Vogel Awards.

A Storylines Notable Book, 2010.

‘Wonderfully imaginative story’ – Magpies

‘Richly comedic.’ – National Radio (listen)

‘May be the first children’s novel from a bee’s point of view… adventure with a sense of humour and a serious eco message.’– North and South

‘In revealing the the marvelous world of bees, Huber has produced a valuable and exciting”good story”.’ – NZ Books

Sting is a children’s novel  (Walker Books, 2009) told from a bee’s viewpoint. Ziggy is rejected by his hive, and kidnapped for a human military experiment. He befriends bumblebees, fights a queen wasp and Killer Bees, and finally discovers the truth about himself. For readers aged 7 to 12.

• Blends animal fantasy, sci-fi, and bee biology.
• Environmental and anti-war themes.
• Teachers click for Classroom ideas – click on pdf

Interview

Why did you write Sting? When I was a child, I was terrified by a swarm of bees that flew over me. Then a few years ago someone gave me a strange birthday present: a beehive — full of thousands of bees. I  became fascinated. I’d always wanted to write the kind of book I loved to read as a kid — mixing thrills, humour, sci-fi, and a very small hero (the Hobbit was the first novel I read).

Where did you get the plot ideas? I read  about army scientists training bees for war zones — that made me angry. Then I saw beehives in an isolated valley (photo ) and imagined a bee called Ziggy starting his journey. When the mysterious disappearance of bees hit the news, it motivated me to keep writing. I didn’t want it to be a Hollywood fantasy (eg. where bees drive tiny cars ).  I tried to make their behaviour realistic – eg. the way Ziggy navigates.

Where did you learn about bees? From beekeepers and scientists who study the secret life of bees. I read fantastic books like A World Without Bees by Alison Benjamin and Sweetness and Light by Hattie Ellis. Her quote at the start of Sting sums up the book – her idea that every tiny creature is vital – everything is connected. I wanted Ziggy to save the world.

Is there a sequel? Yes, a ‘beequel’ titled Wings is to be published by Walker Books  in early 2011. In Ziggy’s next adventure he meets giant hornets, goes underground, and searches for vanishing bees. Also, my picture book Flight of the Honey Bee is to be published by Walker.

Find out about bees by clicking here.

Photo: Sting fan Ruben in the first ever Ziggy costume!

Review snippets:

‘With wit in dialogue and sympathy for the classic outsider, Huber makes Ziggy delightfully credible. – Diane Hebley, NZ Books

‘There’s every bee joke you could ever imagine. A quirky piece of work.’- John McIntyre, National Radio

‘Appealing to that often neglected group of readers – boys. My two loved it, and have re-read and re-read it.’- Vanda Symon

‘… Through the plot is woven a subtle lesson about the biology of bees and the importance of caring for our environment… any child who likes to  watch insects will absolutely love this book.’ -Sandy Fussell, Reading Stack

‘Huber takes the reader on a wonderful journey …The fast paced action  makes the story fun to read aloud…– Read Plus

‘…as well as really enjoying the story, and laughing at the jokes, the boys learned a lot about the world of bees – Vanda Symon

‘Wonderfully quirky’- Book Award Judges

‘My 9 year old son had to list his three favourite books at school last week and they were Harry Potter, Garfield and Sting!’ – Annie

Children’s Comments:

‘When Sting ended I thought I might dream about it every night after that!’

‘I am up to the part when Ziggy is riding on the explosion … it is so good that it is hard to stop reading.’

‘Your book is very interesting (I don’t mean weird). I couldn’t put it down.’

‘Hey Sting your book rocks.’