Bronwyn DeGroot doesn't have many friends, and her quirkiness and strange sense of humour tend to put them off. When her imaginary experiments with supernatural aliens spill over into real life, she scares off the one friend she has in the neighbourhood.The only person who really seems to "get her" is her sister Carey. And Bronwyn has an uncanny knack for understanding Carey, who has cerebral palsy. when Carey gets her hands on a spelling board she demonstrates that, amazingly, she knows how to read and write, proving to the rest of the family what Bronwyn has known all along: her little sister is very, very smart. If only Bronwyn could get along as well with her mother. Worried by Carey's worsening health, burdened with a secret of her own, Bronwyn eventually realizes that it is up to her to take the first steps toward forging a new kind of relationship with her mother.In Wings of a Bee, author Julie Roorda gives us an entertaining and tremendously insightful perspective on living with disability. The unique and compelling voice of Bronwyn captivates readers with its intelligent humour and irony in this deeply perceptive portrayal of family life under extraordinary circumstances.

Julie Roorda's poems and short stories have appeared in publications across Canada, and her previous books include a collection of short stories and two volumes of poetry. In addition to writing fiction, she works as a writer, editor and researcher with the University of Toronto and the University Health Network. Wings of a Bee is Roorda's first novel for young adults.

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