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The Bee’s Bookshelf is a place to explore the connection between stories and spelling, and to celebrate your favorite books with friends. Each month, subscribers receive an email with the monthly selection, a spelling list with words from the book and fun extras like printable bookmarks.
this month's book
may the best player win
by Kyla Zhao
The clock is ticking for May Li, whose middle-school chess team just earned a victory at the state championship—and with it, a ticket to nationals. What’s even more exciting is that May got an award for being the top female player and a splashy feature in the biggest chess magazine in the country. The crown is May’s for the taking . . . except she’s starting to crumble under the weight of everyone’s expectations. Anxious feelings begin to affect her performance and, what’s worse, eat away at her love for the game. Now May is left to wonder: Can you still play for fun when you’re playing to win?
KYLA ZHAO is the author of The Fraud Squad (Berkley, 2023). She had her first women's magazine byline at the age of sixteen. Since then, she has also written for the Singapore editions of Harper's Bazaar, Vogue, and Tatler. A native Singaporean, Kyla now works in Silicon Valley after graduating from Stanford University in 2021. In 2023, Kyla made Forbes Asia's 30 under 30 list. She’s still trying to understand why Californians adore hiking and Patagonia fleeces so much. May the Best Player Win is her middle-grade debut.
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