A Young Girl Searches For Herself in Kat Yeh’s The Way to Bea
After spending the summer in Taiwan with her family, seventh grader Beatrix Lee is having trouble fitting as new school year begins. It all started with an end of summer pool party that went oh so wrong, swan dive and color bombs and all. Now that school has started again, her friends feel more like foes. On top of all that, she’s got a baby sister on the way who’s sure to upend her only-child world. Bea feels just plain invisible to those around her.
Seeking solace in the wooded path between her house and school, Bea crafts an elegant haiku and tucks it into the nook of an old stone wall. She writes with invisible ink, and isn’t sure if anyone will find her poem, let alone read it. When a new note appears, Bea puzzles over who might have written her back. Is it a peace offering from her old friend Sammie? Someone new reaching out to her? Or is it a reply from her loving librarian?
“Today is the blank page day. Anything can happen.”
Bea channels her best self with a nib pen, lemon-water ink, squares of paper, and words. Thrumming out a haiku is her preferred method of expressing her feelings, and the reader is quickly drawn into the five-seven-five rhythm of her poetry that appears throughout the story.
With the encouragement of Mrs. Reegs, her librarian since elementary school, Bea becomes the poetry editor for the school newspaper, Broadside. There she meets Briggs (whom she can’t decide if she has a crush on or not), and Will, a fellow student with Aspergers, along with several other new classmates. Will and Bea soon develop a friendship and share in his love of labyrinths (not mazes) together over quiet lunches in the classroom. Will fixates on wanting to visit a nearby private labyrinth that is world famous and together, they set out to make that happen. The twists and turns along the way provide Bea with ample opportunities to evaluate her friendships, with friends both old and new.
“What you feel inside is what you put out in the universe.”
Author Kat Yeh has tapped into tween turmoil with authenticity, and The Way to Bea is an excellent book for a lonely student, or someone trying to find where they fit in. Navigating middle school can be awkward and scary, and it’s often coupled with the difficult experiences of outgrowing of old friendships while nurturing relationships with new friends. Yeh thoughtfully explores the feelings surrounding this these adolescent experiences with insight and grace.
{{ product: 9780316236614 }}The author’s fresh voice speaks straight to middle grade readers and her story features characters from multiple walks of life. Bea is a well-developed and lovable protagonist with a penchant for music and a need to ask questions more than once. A Taiwanese American, she lives in a creative family, with a painter mother and a famous comic book artist for a father. Bea’s parents provide her with a loving home while encouraging her independence.
Situationally appropriate for ages nine and up, The Way to Bea touches on family and friendships and finding your way. Ultimately, Yeh helps the reader understand that change can be good. And when you reach a dead end, it’s an opportunity to turn in a different direction.
The Way to Bea is on B&N Bookshelves now.