BLOGS > AUGUST 17, 2022
“The idea behind the History Bee was to bring the popularity and collectability of The Who HQ Series to life by giving the series’ biggest fans a chance to show just how much they’ve learned from the books. We wanted to create an engaging program that benefited everyone – both the teachers and librarians as well as the students!” – Francesco Sedita, Publisher of Penguin Workshop
The Who Was? History Bee is coming to your child’s school or library! Brought to you by Penguin Young Readers, the publishers of the #1 New York Times best-selling book series, The Who Was? History Bee was created to get children excited and engaged with history in a new way. Kids, along with their parents, librarians, and teachers, can’t get enough of the Who Was? books – they love reading about the inventors, artists, explorers, leaders, and other amazing people who helped change the world. The Bee will help grow that excitement and curiosity about history – a subject children need to know to prepare for the future.
The Who Was? History Bee is a trivia competition for kids in Grades 3-5. It’s going to be exciting, challenging, and epically fun! Best of all, it’s FREE for schools and libraries to sign up.
How does it work? The Who Was? History Bee couldn't be brought to life without the help of our Bee administrators! That’s you! If you’re a paid employee of a school or library, you can sign up to be an official participating Bee school or library. There’s no cost, and we only ask that you have access to a computer with internet service as our Bee communications will come to you via email.
From there, you’ll start receiving emails from the Bee team. They’ll help you promote, organize, and run your school, classroom, or library’s The Who Was? History Bee from start to finish with the help of the new Who Was? History Bee Guidebook. If at any point you have a question, email them at whowashistorybee@penguinrandomhouse.com! They’ll help you sort it out in a flash. Will one of your students become one of our four Regional Champions? We hope so!
There will be one Finalist/Champion per geographic region (West, Midwest, South, Northeast). Each champion will receive a $2,500 US savings bond, a Who Was? library set for themselves, and a Who Was? library set for their classroom or library. The four regional champions will also be celebrated in a Who Was? Roblox event experience on a future date in early May 2023 once winners have been announced.
Our Regional Champion Teams! This year, students will compete within their classrooms and schools in order to win a spot as a Regional Champion!
There will be four Regional Champions for the 2022-2023 season. That means, given where your school is based, you and your students will be representing one of the below Regional Champion icons for The Who Was? History Bee and will be on their team! Make sure you represent your colors and team names with pride! We’ll then have four Regional Champion student winners for each section of the country representing their team. Each winner, along with winning the aforementioned finalist prizes, will be celebrated in a special virtual Roblox event – details of which will be coming soon!
To register for the Bee and for full rules and 2022-2023 season information, including what’s new this year, visit: whowashistorybee.com.

Publisher/Producer Advertisement: For more information, visit titlewave.com.
Bilingual STEAM Books Your Youngest Learners Will Love
May 29, 2026
STEAMWORKS from Charlesbridge is an engaging way to introduce young learners to science, technology, engineering, arts, and math (STEAM) through story, character, and entertaining problem-solving. These books feature children of all backgrounds and abilities using scientific, mathematical, and creative thinking to solve everyday problems and...
Read more
Follett Content is now serving public libraries – here's what you need to know.
May 25, 2026
You may know Follett Content as a trusted partner for K-12 school libraries. But we’ve expanded our reach, and public libraries are at the center of that growth.If you’re a public librarian evaluating vendors, exploring options for adult book fulfillment,...
Read more
Graphic Novels Your Students Will Love from Annick Press
May 21, 2026
The intricately crafted worlds and dynamic characters of graphic novels capture the imagination of students of all ages, no matter where they are in their literary journey. These worlds foster deeper cultural understanding while the narratives hone critical thinking skills crucial to...
Read more
Best-Selling SEL Professional Development from Norton Books in Education
May 19, 2026
Cutting-edge research continues to confirm that teaching students social and emotional skills provides enduring behavioral and learning benefits for academic and lifelong success. These hands-on professional development titles from Norton provide school leaders and classroom teachers in Grades K-12 with SEL tools and strategies grounded...
Read more
The Adult Title Fulfillment Gap in Public Libraries – and What It Means for Collection Development
May 18, 2026
For decades, a major player in the public library space was one of the most relied-upon sources for adult print titles.When that leading library book vendor exited the public library distribution market, it created a gap that collections professionals are...
Read more
Long hold queues for new releases? Here's how libraries are solving it.
May 11, 2026
It’s one of the most visible measures of patron satisfaction in a public library: the holds list. When a highly anticipated adult title is released and dozens – sometimes hundreds – of patrons are waiting for a handful of copies,...
Read more