The Queen Bees of Tybee County

March 1, 2025
Bee who you're meant to bee. Derrick Chan, a Chinese American basketball player, is stuck spending the summer after seventh grade with his paternal grandmother in Heritage, Georgia ("the most boring place on earth"), after financial problems prevent him from attending basketball camp while his widowed father is out of town working. There Derrick befriends goth roller skater Ro and photographer Giles. He also discovers a talent for fashion and later becomes a stand-in for an absent contestant at Tybee County's Queen Bee Junior Pageant, thanks to Grandma Claudia's connections to the event and his ability to quickly pick up the dance routines. Derrick's time with Grandma Claudia opens new doors that allow him to explore his sexuality, discovering unexpected feelings for his best friend and fellow b-ball player, JJ. The book tackles a lot of issues from sexuality to race (Giles is cued Black; Derrick feels isolated in his largely white environment), and while the messaging is positive, the uneven pacing undermines the connections readers should make with Derrick. In its slow moments, the plot meanders around a mysterious rift between Grandma Claudia and Derrick's father while speeding through both Derrick's budding friendship with Ro and Giles and his coming out. This debut by Chu, a founder of Drag Story Hour who performs as Panda Dulce, will satisfy readers looking for a light, feel-good story. Readers seeking substance may be frustrated by the two-dimensional characters and saccharine resolutions. Original and encouraging, but inconsistently executed.(Fiction. 8-12)

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March 1, 2025

Gr 6 Up-It's the "Summer of Yes" for seventh grade Chinese American Derrick Chan. As a strong basketball point guard with a best friend in fellow player JJ and basketball camp on the horizon for summer, everything seems to be aligning for Derrick. Unfortunately, Dad can't swing the tuition, and the trajectory of Derrick's summer takes a drastic turn. Sent to spend the summer with estranged Grandma Claudia in small town Heritage, GA, he's certain that summer will be dull. But then Derrick meets Ro and Giles, two friends with whom he feels like he can really be himself, even painting his toenails and enjoying make up. Grandma Claudia's organization of the town's pageant allows Derrick to sub in for some of the absent dancers and explore some of the beautiful dresses Claudia creates for the girls. Throughout the summer, Derrick learns more about his mom, prior to her death from breast cancer, and what it means to be a drag queen. Characters are well developed, and readers will find the relationship challenges teens often face to be relatable. Learning the importance of true friendship and risking it all to be true to oneself are major themes of this engaging novel. VERDICT An important book for middle school shelves, and for any reader seeking a positive role model demonstrating courage and strength in the face of challenging situations-even when it's family who might pose the biggest obstacle.-Tracy Cronce

Copyright 2025 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from April 1, 2025
Grades 5-8 *Starred Review* Southern beauty pageantry and drag come to life in tandem as a young basketball prodigy finds there's more to life than what's on the court. Rising eighth-grader Derrick Chan has always felt out of place. While he excels at basketball, he longs for his private escapades of painting his toenails, donning a towel wig and skirt, exploring his late mother's fashion magazines and makeup, and lip syncing in the bathroom mirror. But he's sure if anyone learned of his private performances, it would be game over. When he's shipped off to his estranged grandmother Claudia's house for the summer, Derrick is surprised to find himself drawn to the beauty pageant Claudia volunteers for, quickly learning dance moves and being enamored by beautiful dresses. What follows is the summer of yes--Derrick starts saying yes to new friendships, new skills, and new understandings about his identity, but he also struggles to accept the joy he finds in drag and living as his most authentic self. This delightful middle-grade debut shines as it tackles the challenges of being different in a small, homogenous town, focusing specifically on the experience of Chinese Americans and queer people, both handled with deft thought and care. A kind contemplation on generational trauma, race, and queer identity in the South, this book sparkles with queer joy. Pass to middle-grade and young YA audiences who appreciate a coming-to-terms story.

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