The Big Sting, Rachelle Delaney
The Big Sting, Rachelle Delaney
1 Rating(s)
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The Big Sting

Author: Rachelle Delaney

Narrator: Justin Miller

Unabridged: 5 hr 23 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Tundra Books

Published: 02/07/2023


Synopsis

A visit to Leo's grandfather's farm turns upside down when his grandmother's beehives are stolen. A light-hearted and funny middle-grade novel for fans of Rebecca Stead and Lynda Mullaly Hunt.

Eleven-year-old Leo is an "armchair adventurer." This, according to Dad, means he'd choose adventures in books or video games over real-life experiences. And while Leo hates the label, he can’t argue with it. Unlike his little sister Lizzie, Leo is not a risk-taker.  

So when he, Lizzie, Mom and Dad leave the city to visit Grandpa on Heron Island, Leo finds all kinds of dangers to avoid — from the deep, dark ocean to an old barn on the verge of collapse. But nothing on the island is more fearsome than Grandpa himself — Leo has never met anyone so grumpy! According to Mom, Grandpa is still grieving the recent death of his wife, a beekeeper beloved by everyone on the island.

Despite Leo's best efforts to avoid it, adventure finds him anyway when Grandma’s beehives go missing in the dead of night. Infuriated, Grandpa vows to track down the sticky-fingered thieves himself . . .  with risk-averse Leo and danger-loving Lizzie (plus a kitten named Mayhem) in tow.

About The Author

RACHELLE DELANEY is the author of several middle-grade novels, including The Metro Dogs of Moscow, which was a CLA Book of the Year Honour Book, as well as a finalist for the Silver Birch Award and the Red Book Cedar Award, among others. Its sequel, The Circus Dogs of Prague, was shortlisted for the Pacific Northwest Library Association's Young Reader's Choice Award. The Bonaventure Adventures won BC's Chocolate Lily Award in 2019 and Clara Voyant was a Chocolate Lily Award nominee. Visit her at www.rachelledelaney.com.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Reading_ on March 04, 2023

The grandpa makes everything thoroughly boring and I do not like adults who do not encourage kids to ask questions. The story do not have much to tell. The premise is really good. I was really interested in knowing about the other world of the creatures out characters meet. I say this again I do not......more

Goodreads review by Tayah on October 18, 2024

Read this aloud to my class. Lots of cringey puns, and they begged me to read the last few chapters. I would call that a win!......more

Goodreads review by Christine on March 21, 2024

Can this count for my reading goal lmao......more

Goodreads review by OpenedBooks on January 14, 2025

Rachelle Delaney’s The Big Sting offers a heartfelt exploration of family, grief, and self-discovery, set against the backdrop of a farm and a mystery involving disappearing bee hives. The story begins with a city kid, familiar with farms only through video games, being thrust into the real-life cha......more

Goodreads review by Donna on April 02, 2023

What a delightful book about taking charge of your own path (present and future) and overcoming perceptions (about yourself and others) and realizing your parents and grandparents are people with their own histories. 11-year-old Leo's younger sister, Lizzie, is optimistic and fun, while Leo's charac......more


Quotes

A Sunshine State Young Readers Award Nominee
Shortlist, Silver Birch Award for Fiction
Shortlist, Diamond Willow Award
Nominee, Crime Writers of Canada Awards of Excellence
Finalist, Sunshine Coast Writers and Editors Society Book Award
Longlist, Science Writers and Communicators of Canada Book Award, Youth Category

"A story full of mystery, adventure, and personal challenges that will have readers buzzing." —Kirkus Reviews

"This character-forward beekeeping mystery considers the limitations of labels and the authentic messiness of IRL adventures." —Publishers Weekly

"A cute funny story about self-confidence, family and stretching your boundaries." —Calgary Herald

“Rachelle Delaney has written a book that manages to be informative . . . while also being rollicking good fun.” —BC Book World

"[A]n action-packed, riotous quest to solve the mystery of the missing hives. . . . Delaney’s memorable cast of characters will strike a chord with tweens." —CM Reviews


Awards

  • Diamond Willow Award
  • Science Writers and Communicators of Canada Book Award - Youth Category
  • Silver Birch Award for Fiction
  • Sunshine Coast Writers and Editors Society Book Award
  • The Crime Writers of Canada Awards of Excellence - Best Juvenile or YA Crime Book