There have been many, many new and great things that have been added to Whyville lately. You have new scions, the climate center, and of course, the Hollywood Cafe. But one of them is unique and stands out to me, and a lot of others who love and enjoy books: You guessed it right, it's the Scholastic Buzz Hive!

So, what is the Buzz Hive, exactly? The Buzz Hive is a room that looks a bit like the inside of a bee hive, including a giant yellow bee buzzing when you get in, ready to explain the room which you have just entered. The looks might be similar, but I expect that the Buzz Hive is a lot more comfortable to be in than a real hive, but that's just an assumption.

Okay, let's dive a little deeper into this imaginative place. The Buzz Hive is a place where Whyvillians can gather to discuss new books they are reading, and the book-of-the-week that you can read and talk about with your friends, too. These discussions are called Book Jams. They can be held in rooms 1-10 you see on the wall when you come in. The entrances to these rooms are disguised as honeycombs, perfect to fit in with the theme. Below the number of the Book Jam room is the number of occupants in it. If you wish to join a Book Jam and rave about your latest reading, you want to go to a room that has a few occupants already in it.

Even though this is a really cool edition, it's not the only thing the Buzz Hive has to offer. Oh, no. There are many links in the Buzz Hive room, and I'm sure many of you have explored some of them. One of these fun activities is the Buzz Boutique at Akbar's Face Mall, where you can look at and buy face parts that were made for and inspired by books. This is a fun deal for designers, because you can also create a lot of original pieces based off your favorite characters or the cover of one of your well-read novels.

Another thing you can join is the Scholastic Summer Reading Buzz program. This is what the link to the site says about the program:

"Summer Reading Buzz is Scholastic's summer reading program. On this site, you'll find videos from celebrity guest buzzsters, message boards, sweepstakes, activities and more. Become a Buzzster yourself, and your summer reading can help a charity."

Sounds like a fun idea to me. Joining is really simple, just go to scholastic.com or click on the pile of books when you get to the Buzz Hive that directs you to the site. Along with the reading program, there is a summer reading book list, so you can keep up with some great books, and have things to discuss in Book Jams. To get check out the list of books, click on the paper airplane that is on the floor when you come into the Buzz Hive.

Now, for all you Whyville Times BBS fans, you're gonna love this: A private BBS to talk about some of the books you're reading out of live chat. Some of the threads of the BBS include: What was the last book you read? What is your favorite book? And, if you could spend a summer with any character form a book, who would it be, from what book, and why?

They have some fun ones, and it looks like everyone is enjoying the book BBS. There are tons of interesting posts, so share your thoughts as well!

And last but not least in the amazing Buzz Hive we have the buzz shop. What is the buzz shop? It's a place where you can browse Scholastic books outside of Whyville and buy them for your collection at home. Plus, Whyville's helping out a little bit. They are giving you a promo code, like the ones used for the street team. The promo code can be used for buying the Scholastic books: If you buy 4 of the great selection of books, and you type in the Whyville promo code, then you get one free! Sounds like a good deal to me. Visit the Buzz Hive to find out what the promo code is and dig into those books.

Let's see what some Whyvillians said about the Buzz Hive:

Annie1021: It's a great place to hang out with your friends. It's a lot of fun.
Galgal11: I think these rooms are so cool, and it's really educational.
Book67: I think it looks like a great way to get kids into reading over the summer.
Sel364: I think it's a fun place to hang out.

When I asked Sel364 if it will get more Whyvillians into reading, she answered an honest "Maybe."

So, does this new addition of Whyville sound great or what? Not only is it a lot of fun to explore, but it also is educational, of course. I really like the BBS's and the Book Jams, but I'm sure everyone has a favorite at the Buzz Hive.

So, you've gotten stung by the bee. Go visit the Buzz Hive today.