I liked the premise of this book - spelling bees were around when I was younger and gained significant momentum amongst the south Asian community as I got older, however, as a millennial I was not a fan of the generalizations the author made about generations. We are more than our generational title; not everyone of a generation can be lumped together either. Unfortunately, I was not a fan of this book and had to stop reading it half way through.

Shankar uses the Spelling Bee as a focal case through which to explore Gen Z - I loved this approach and have recommended the book to several students.

The author's painstaking research and attention to detail is obvious in the writing of this book. There were many facts that I only discovered after reading this!

Shalini Shankar has applied her skills as a writer along with her academic thesis and years of involved study of the National Spelling Bee to create a fascinating book that gives an insider's view of an exciting high-stakes, high-reward environment. Beyond the Bee, she uses American cohorts as her framework of reference, focusing onwards from the Baby Boomers: Generation X, Generation Y, Millennials (b. 1981-1996) and Generation Z (b. 1996-). Parenting styles are featured and compared, and I found it interesting that she provides historic cohorts for context as well: Colonial Child (1620-1770), Republican Child (1170-1830), Victorian Child (1830-1900), and Modern Child (1900-present).

Beyond the nuts, bolts, and nitty gritty about spelling bees, Shankar gets into how they link to human-capital building, that children in Millennial generation on are raised as investments of human capital, passed on to children "through a process social scientists call social reproduction, including assets, skills, social knowledge, and social networks". Terms and concepts I had not been familiar with. I love the range of experts she cites from social psychologist Angela Lee Duckworth, and Carol Dweck, whose "grit" and fixed vs growth mindset I have long been a fan of, and new names to me such as French sociologist Pierre Bourdieu. But Beeline isn't dry-and-academic, she Shankar rightly spotlights those in competition, the children and also their families, with compelling looks at how these Spellebrities go on to flourish academically as well as professionally, as entrepreneurs, coaches, and well-rounded self-confident individuals.

I too am a big fan of the Scripps National Spelling Bee, and ate up the details about the training, the support, the personalities, and the production process behind ESPN's shows and all the burgeoning competitions, worldwide. I liked reading about other brain sports besides the spelling bee, the thorough coverage of social media confluence, and the highlighting of this mixture of "precocious and cool". "Bee Parenting is shifting standards and means of achievement and how much more kids nowadays need to do to succeed." I admire South-Asian author Shankar here for her ability to objectively and personably evaluate the South-Asian experience in relation to the Bee, without interjecting any glimmer of gloating.

This was my favorite bit in the whole book (among so so many great quotes I've high-lighted): "Before, there were, like, fifty white people in a row and no one was like, 'Hmm, this is suspicious,' " Amber (Born) remarked. Kate (Miller) additionally pointed out that before Nupur Lala won in 1999, boys had won for seven straight years. "No one wondered about that!" exclaimed Kate.

I will never forget how excited I was when, as a young newspaper reporter at the Decatur Herald & Review, I learned I would be chronicling the journey of our outstanding local speller, Yasir Hasnain, at the 2013 Scripps National Spelling Bee in New Harbor, Maryland.

From seeing the historic sites of Washington, D.C., and accompanying Yasir and his family to both his vocabulary test and to his live rounds onstage, I couldn’t get over how amazing the experience was. The Maryland Ballroom at the Gaylord Resort and Convention Center was beautiful, and the atmosphere was electric as kids stepped up to the microphone and did what they absolutely loved.

While Yasir was poised onstage and spelled both of his words correctly, his vocabulary test score wasn’t high enough to qualify him for semifinals. He missed it by just two points.

I hadn’t thought about that experience in years, but as I read Shalini Shankar’s Beeline: What Spelling Bees Reveal About Generation Z’s New Path to Success,” I could feel that excitement all over again.

In this fascinating and well-researched ethnography, Shankar – a professor of anthropology and Asian American studies at Northwestern University – delves into the culture of spelling bees and uses it as a means of examining the traits of Generation Z.

From attending the National Spelling Bee from 2013-2018, the South Asian Spelling Bee, North South Foundation Spelling Bee and several regional bees, Shankar is well-versed in the culture of spelling bees, and it shows in her book. And while Beeline is full of statistics and findings, Shankar weaves in her research amidst the personal and engaging stories and experiences of several nationally-known spellers, such as Amber Born, Kate Miller, Shreyas Parab, Vanya Shivashankar and Gokul Venkatachalam.

From examining their study habits and drive to succeed, to observing how involved and supportive the families of Generation Z children are when it comes to spelling bee preparation and the cultivation of human capital, Shankar allows readers to see “what spelling bees reveal about Generation Z kids and how we can better understand childhood success through the lens of spellers who compete at an elite level.”

Whether dedicating hours a day to spelling bee study and preparation, making their mark as young entrepreneurs or striving for career and professional success at an increasingly young age, Shankar notes that “Gen Zers seek out opportunities rather than expecting things to be handed to them.”

Striving for inclusivity in her study, Shankar examines Indian-American communities and how they have impacted American culture, from producing many of the recent bee champions and emphasizing grit, determination and hard work, to influencing parenting styles.

Additionally, Shankar provides readers with a good history of spelling bees, noting that what was once a small, traditional schoolroom competition has now evolved into a televised event that is not only highly-watched on ESPN, but also has quite a following social media, making these spellers into “spellebrities.”

This was such an interesting and engaging read. I loved learning about the lives, study habits, spelling bee experiences and career aspirations of the many spellers she interviewed, as well as learning about the history of the bee, the impact of South Asian Americans in the United States, and what happens behind the scenes of the Scripps National Spelling Bee.

Thank you to Netgalley and Basic Books for early access to this book in exchange for an honest review. If you’re a fan of the spelling bee or simply want to know more about these talented, hardworking kids, give this book a read.

As a fan of the televised National Spelling bee, I’ve always wondered about these boys and girls who enter them.What drives them how much dedication it takes.Beeline introduces us to a few of these contestants and their parents. The amount of time spent learning these spelling words is astounding.These kids are bright with multi interests do great in school self motivation plays a big part.This is an intimate look at these smart seemingly mature kids who seem to enjoy all the challanges being a spelling champ brings.A really engrossing read a behind the scenes look at these talented kids.Would love to know what fields these amazing kids enter.#netgalley #perseusbooks

Exciting, enticing and well researched. Got to learn a lot of new information. Would love to see a sequel about what ultimately happens to these children and their spellings when they grow up. Do they carry on these trends with their kids too? Very well written.