The Nectar Collector

One fearless forager. One loyal friend. A colony fighting to survive.

Alenya is a honeybee with opinions. Strong ones. She pushes past guards, ignores rules when the nectar is worth it, and dances her discoveries with a ferocity that makes other foragers stop and stare. She is, in every way that matters, the best bee in the hive.

Then the wildfire comes.

Moved to a new home in the mountains, the colony is shattered by a bear attack. Alenya and her best friend Klymer, a slow-flying drone with a gift for storytelling, set out on their own, facing hunger, wasps, and a neighboring hive with a dangerous secret. Together they must find something harder than the best flowers: a reason to keep going when the world has changed beyond recognition.

Blending real bee science with adventure, warmth, and humor, The Nectar Collector is a story about friendship, courage, and the stories that hold a community together. An Author's Note explains the science behind the story, and a free study guide is available for classrooms.

For readers ages 8–12. For fans of Charlotte's Web, The One and Only Ivan, and The Wild Robot.

"A thoughtful, character-driven animal adventure and a memorable, rewarding read. Highly recommended."
—The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

"Sherlock's storytelling pulls us into a wealth of fascinating information about bees while entertaining us with a gripping tale of loveable characters, with and without wings."
—Tina Welling, author of Writing Wild

"The Nectar Collector has everything a kid looks for in a story—fascinating characters, a dynamite plot, and enough insight into the lives of bees to satisfy any budding apiologist."
—Tim Sandlin, founder and executive director of The Jackson Writers' Conference