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While at the library with my daughter earlier this summer, I decided to get a book for my son from the LHS freshmen summer reading list. He took one look at the title, The Secret Life of Bees, read the jacket, and promptly announced it was “a girl book” and he wasn’t reading it. His snap judgment annoyed me. Why is it a girl book simply because the protagonist is a girl? I admit, I found the story compelling, but I guess it does sort of focus on forgiveness, acceptance, and inner healing, and some folks might see that as girlish. But there is also the matter of the mother’s death involving a gun, which the daughter struggles to recall throughout the novel, as well as the tension of being set in the South during the civil rights movement. Full disclosure: Okay, everyone I asked agreed with his assessment, but most had not actually read the book. Regardless of gender, this is a wonderful read, and I highly recommend it—even if you’re not a girl or a freshman. (See book review page for details.) Also note: At his request, I have since bought the latest Harry Potter book, which he is reading happily.