An Afternoon with Shanna Upchurch

Join us for a storytime with children's author Shanna Upchurch! This free event is perfect for little readers and book lovers of all ages. We recommend purchasing your book in advance on Eventbrite to guarantee you have a copy ready for the event. Come ready for a fun and memorable experience you will not want to miss!

WATERCRESS gets an ecological twist in this celebration of honeybees, agriculture, family, and—above all—kid power in the latest addition to Disney Planet Possible Books.
An eighteen-wheeler rumbles to life in Florida, loaded with more than four hundred beehives. Destination? The almond orchards of California, where millions of blossoms are waiting.
Seven-year-old Joey J isn’t just along for the ride. She’s got work to do. With Uncle Mike and expert driver José, she races through pit stops to keep the bees from flying away, keeps them cool under the blazing sun, and holds her breath at the final inspection site.
Because Joey J knows one thing for sure: These bees matter. They’re part of an expansive network of commercial honeybees crisscrossing the country to pollinate food for people all over the world.
After four long days, the team arrives at the orchards. As her bees fill the sky, Joey J can’t help but wonder—do they have any idea how important they are?
With the lyricism and family relationships of favorites like WATERCRESS, this stunning debut sheds light on a little-known piece of our world’s food supply and celebrates the magnificent honeybee.

I’m Shanna (rhymes with banana) Upchurch, and I write picture books and middle grade novels. I grew up in rural Illinois, but now I call Texas home. My books feature brave kids, awesome animals, and world-ending plots with big-hearted journeys. When I’m not writing, you can find me wrangling my five feral kids, hanging with honeybees in my apiary, digging up potatoes in the garden, or trying to keep my goats from climbing on the car (again). If you’re a curious person or you’ve ever felt a little different or you’ve seen how scared and brave are two sides of the same coin, you’ll be right at home in my stories.