{"product_id":"the-queen-bees-of-tybee-county","title":"The Queen Bees of Tybee County","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eAN APALA HONOR BOOK * NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY BEST BOOKS OF 2025 *\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eBOOKLIST\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e2025 EDITOR'S CHOICE * BCCB BLUE RIBBON *\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eSCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/i\u003eBEST BOOKS OF 2025\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eBetter Nate Than Ever\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003emeets\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eDumplin’\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003ein this charming, poignant debut by Kyle Casey Chu, aka Panda Dulce, a founding queen of Drag Story Hour.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAfter making the buzzer-beating shot at the Georgia basketball state championships, Derrick Chan becomes the star of Bayard Middle School, and Derrick’s single dad could not be prouder. But there are parts of Derrick that no one knows about, like the toenail polish he wears under his basketball sneakers, his secret lip-sync performances in the bathroom mirror, and the feelings he’s developing for his best friend and teammate, JJ.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs the school year comes to a close, Derrick’s dad takes an out-of-town job and ships Derrick off to spend the summer with his estranged, eccentric grandmother, Claudia. Soon, Claudia introduces Derrick to the world of small-town southern beauty pageants, and Derrick suddenly feels he’s found where he belongs. But when the opportunity arises to compete in the town pageant, Derrick is forced to decide just how much of himself he’s ready to show the world.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCan he learn to love and accept the most unique parts of himself? And what will happen if others—like his father and JJ—can’t do the same?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eA Star on Two Courts:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eDerrick is a basketball champion, but he finds his true calling on a different kind of stage, discovering the glamour and courage of drag performance.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eFound Family:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eSent to his eccentric grandmother Claudia’s house, Derrick finds unexpected friendship with fellow misfits Ro and Giles, who help him find the confidence to be himself.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eBest Friend First Crush:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eNavigating secret feelings for his best friend and teammate JJ adds a whole new layer of complication to Derrick’s transformative summer.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eHeartfelt and Humorous:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003ePerfect for fans of\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eBetter Nate Than Ever\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eand\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eDumplin’\u003c\/i\u003e, this story is packed with laugh-out-loud moments and poignant lessons about self-acceptance and family.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHardcover\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAges 8 to 12\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eKyle Casey Chu\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan\u003e (AKA \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cb\u003ePanda Dulce\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan\u003e) is a writer, filmmaker, and one of the founding queens of Drag Story Hour. She was born and raised in San Francisco, where she still proudly lives, within nagging distance of her families (both drag and biological). Her debut novel, \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Queen Bees of Tybee County\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, was named a 2026 Asian Pacific American Award for Literature Honor book. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eJuana Fanta Needs a Hero\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e is her second novel.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Harper Collins","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52566046179617,"sku":"9780063326958","price":19.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0808\/8521\/9617\/files\/queenbees.jpg?v=1776123100","url":"https:\/\/www.onwaverly.com\/products\/the-queen-bees-of-tybee-county","provider":"On Waverly","version":"1.0","type":"link"}