Cover of The Bees of Notre-Dame

The Bees of Notre-Dame

by Meghan Browne

The Bees of Notre-Dame by Meghan Browne is assigned in US schools at grades k–4. It appears across 1 curriculum reference and 1 state, sourced from state DOE pages and AP/IB/Common Core syllabi. Every citation below links to the primary source.

This page shows where The Bees of Notre-Dame is assigned in US schools — curricula, states, grades, and the primary-source citations behind each placement. Not a summary or study guide.

Grade range
Grades K–4
Pages
22
Reading time
about 25 minutes (est.)
First published
2023
Genre
Picture Book
ISBN-13
9780593374580
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About this book

This lyrical, poignant nonfiction picture book tells the fascinating story of the honeybee colonies that lived on the roof of the Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris and survived the devastating 2019 fire. High above the bustling streets and gardens of Paris is a little-known wonder: a cluster of beehives. They sit atop the roof of the Notre-Dame cathedral, lovingly tended to by a beekeeper named Sibyle. But when fire broke out in the catherdral in 2019, the bees almost didn’t make it. Firefighters battled heat and smoke, carefully spraying their hoses around the hives, pumping in water from fireboats on the Seine, and, miraculously, they survived. Meghan P. Browne and E. B. Goodale imbue the story of Notre-Dame’s bees and the fire that almost killed them with great hope. After the fire, there i

Why widely assigned

This Picture Book title, typically at grades k–4. Written in the 2020s; cited across 1 curriculum framework.

Where this book is assigned

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Common questions

What grade level is The Bees of Notre-Dame?
The Bees of Notre-Dame is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades K–4. Specific grade placement varies by curriculum — AP Literature and IB English Literature typically use it in grades 11-12.
How long does it take to read The Bees of Notre-Dame?
It takes about 25 minutes to read The Bees of Notre-Dame (22 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 25 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.
What curricula assign The Bees of Notre-Dame?
The Bees of Notre-Dame appears on reading lists for Georgia Children's Picture Storybook Award. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
Is The Bees of Notre-Dame banned in schools?
The Bees of Notre-Dame does not appear in PEN America's Index of School Book Bans 2022-2024. No documented multi-district removals on record, but individual districts may challenge titles locally.

Why this book is on this list

Each dimension below is sourced from a public reference. The full framework is documented on the classification standard page.

Lexile measure
Not classified — this book has no published Lexile measure.
Grade band
Grades K–4 — drawn from state ELA frameworks and AP/IB syllabi citing this book.
Curriculum alignment
Cited in 1 curriculum on this site (see “Where assigned” above for primary-source links).
State-level evidence
Cited in 1 state ELA framework or DOE list (see citations above).
Removal / banning records
No tracked removal or challenge records in cited sources.
Seasonal / contextual tags
Tagged for: read-aloud.