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  • Published: 15 May 2011
  • ISBN: 9780887766015
  • Imprint: Tundra Books
  • Format: Paperback
  • Pages: 264
  • RRP: $19.99

In Spite of Killer Bees




In Spite of Killer Bees is a novel about not giving in and not giving up. Aggie and her two sisters have had to move to the small village that had been their father’s childhood home. Their mother is long gone, and their father – who’d been in and out of prison – has died. Although the village holds little charm for the girls, they have hopes. It seems that their late grandfather has made them heiresses.

In the small, judgmental village, Aggie must fight to keep her diminishing family together. By refusing to abandon those she loves and comes to love, she risks more than her happiness.

  • Published: 15 May 2011
  • ISBN: 9780887766015
  • Imprint: Tundra Books
  • Format: Paperback
  • Pages: 264
  • RRP: $19.99

About the author

Julie Johnston

Tundra author Julie Johnston received the Governor General’s Award for her first two books, Hero of Lesser Causes and Adam and Eve and Pinch-Me. Her third novel, The Only Outcast, was shortlisted for the Governor General’s Award, as was her novel In Spite of Killer Bees. In 2003, Julie Johnston was awarded the Vicky Metcalf Award for Children’s Literature in recognition of the enormous contribution her body of work has made to children’s literature. Her most recent young adult book, Susanna’s Quill, was also critically acclaimed. Published in 2005, As If By Accident is Julie Johnston’s first book for adults. Julie Johnston lives in Peterborough, Ontario.

Also by Julie Johnston

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Praise for In Spite of Killer Bees

–The Globe and Mail

“…a signature Julie Johnston story: complex, subtle, and engaging.”

–The Horn Book Magazine

“…Johnston’s…narrative is compelling, fluctuating between distance, edginess, and heartfelt intimacy…An insightful novel about sisters, reconciling past and present, and opening hearts and minds.”

–Booklist

“Forget killer bees. What this Canadian novel has is a killer plot.”

–Washington Post

“Julie Johnston is quickly becoming the Alice Munro of Canadian children’s publishing…[this is] a brilliant, brilliant book.”

–Michele Landsberg

“Extraordinary…Johnston has created an exuberant novel that simply whips readers into the midst of these unforgettable characters.”

–Quill & Quire

“This is a leisurely, intriguing, and offbeat saga about a ‘born-again family-girl’ who finds a place in the world.”

–The Bulletin

“Aggie is sure to become one of Johnston’s most beloved characters.”

–Children’s Book News Summer/Fall 2001

“Johnston’s novel is a delightful mixture of warmth and disfunctionality, alienation and human contact…Johnston has a hilarious penchant for undercutting sentiment…Here’s heart, readability and enormous literary sophistication, all lightly worn.”

–The Toronto Star

“A gem – another one – from two–time Governor–General’s Award-winner Julie Johnston.”

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