Actress Keke Palmer (Akeelah) hangs out with members of the Scholastic Kids Press Corps. (Photo: Suzanne Freeman)

Tuesday, April 25—Akeelah and the Bee (rated PG) is a drama about a young girl named Akeelah Anderson. "A-K-E-E-L-A-H," she spells during the opening credits. Akeelah is a gifted speller, but it's a talent that she keeps hidden.

The action gets going when Akeelah's principal convinces her to join a spelling bee at her school. To the surprise of her classmates, Akeelah wins. At the bee, a friend of the principal—Dr. Jonathan Larabee—watches her. After talking with Akeelah, Larabee (a professor) believes that she has the potential to win the Scripps National Spelling Bee.

Akeelah finds herself caught in a whirlwind, as she begins to compete with students from other local schools. Through hard work (she studies every day with Dr. Larabee) and a little luck, Akeelah makes it all the way to the national bee. Along the way, she makes friends with another speller, a boy named Javier. It's not all smooth sailing, though, as Akeelah has troubles with her family and with life in the spotlight.

Akeelah and the Bee is a film that will keep those in the audience on the edge of their seats until the spelling of the last word. The film, directed by Doug Atchison, has an amazing cast, including Laurence Fishburne as Dr. Larabee; Angela Basset as Akeelah's mother, Tanya; J.R. Villarreal as Javier; and Keke Palmer as the movie's star, Akeelah. The acting was not a disappointment—the film features many wonderful performances.

I would recommend this movie to anyone. It's definitely a "must-see" family movie. So this spring, grab your parents and go check out Akeelah and the Bee. You won't R-E-G-R-E-T it!