Storytime at Bookmarks: Bee the Change

Storytime at Bookmarks: Bee the Change

Join us for a special event featuring author Kamal Bell and his book Akeem Keeps the Bees!

Date: Saturday, March 29, 2025
Location: Bookmarks Bookstore located at 634 W 4th St
Doors Open: 10:00 AM
Author Reading: 10:30 AM
Bee-Themed Activities: 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM

Purchase the featured book, Akeem Keep the Bees, with your ticket for a discounted rate of $16 plus tax (retail price is $18.99 plus tax).

Families will enjoy hands-on bee-themed activities, including a fun bee headband craft, while learning about the importance of bees in our ecosystem. This event is presented in collaboration with Keep Winston-Salem Beautiful and Forsyth Creek Week 2025.

Come celebrate reading, nature, and the power of small but mighty creatures!

About the Author

Kamal Bell is the owner of Sankofa Farms, a 12-acre regenerative farm working to address the impacts that food deserts have on both urban and rural communities. Sankofa Farms Agricultural Academy provides opportunities for young men to engage in agriculture-focused STEM skill development and partners with community organizations to take food from the farms to the tables of people who need it most. The farm has been featured in Forbes, Southern Living, The News and Observer, Earth Eats, and ABC News. Bell is a doctoral student at NC State in the Agriculture Extension Education program whose work focuses on sustainable agriculture, the state of Black farming, youth advocacy, and social entrepreneurship. He lives with his family in Durham, North Carolina.

About the Book

Young readers will learn the basics of beekeeping with this vibrantly illustrated book that takes place on the Sankofa Farms apiary.
Told from Akeem's perspective, Akeem Keeps Bees! begins with the arrival and installation of a package of bees and follows Akeem and his Dad throughout the year as they inspect the hive, find the queen, deal with a swarm, harvest honey, and prepare for winter.
Every part of the process is illustrated for young readers, teaching them the special role that bees play on a farm. The author, Kamal Bell, is a leading voice among Black farmers educating and inspiring Black youth about farming and beekeeping. Perfect for children ages 6 through 10.

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