Akeelah and the Bee (Shooting Script, 52)

A novelization of the inspirational movie about an 11-year-old girl in South Los Angeles named Akeelah and her quest to make it to the Scripps National Spelling Bee—with help from some very unexpected places.

Akeelah and the Bee is the story of Akeelah Anderson (Keke Palmer, Barbershop 2 and Madea's Family Reunion), a precocious 11-year-old girl from South Los Angeles with a gift for words. Despite the objections of her mother, Tanya (Angela Bassett), Akeelah enters various spelling contests, for which she is tutored by the forthright Dr. Larabee (Laurence Fishburne); her principal; and the proud residents of her neighborhood who witness the courage and inspiration of one amazing little girl. 8-page color photo insert.

Doug Atchison has directed over a dozen short films, including his award-winning thesis project, Ellen's Father. He has taught directing at the International Film and Television Workshops in Rockport, Maine, and screenwriting at the University of LaVerne, near Los Angeles. James W. Ellison is the author of seven novels published by Doubleday, Little, Brown, and Dodd Mead, including the award-winning I'm Owen Harrison Harding and novelizations including Finding Forrester, Two Brothers, and Rudy. He lives in New York City.