Wednesday, May 22, 2013

Word Gurrrl



I was browsing for books for my second grade bookworm when I came across a familiar name. Meg Wolitzer's  latest book - The Interestings - is on my to-read-list, so I was curious to see what a "Middle Zone" title of hers would be like in the meantime. 

Across the country, a loner, a skateboarder, and a black sheep find themselves preparing for the Youth Scrabble Tournament. Duncan has a unique power in his fingertips that his competitive teammate plans to exploit. Nate wants to skateboard and go to school like everyone else in his neighborhood. Instead, his father, once a finalist in the tournament, begins homeschooling him ... in Scrabble techniques. April sets out to prove to her athletic family that Scrabble is her sport. 

Wolitzer follows these kids from prep to game time and skillfully intersects their stories in the final tournament. Not only do they form friendships with their competitors, but they prove to themselves that they can succeed despite bullies, self-doubt, or parental pressure. 

While jumping from this book to Wolitzer's other fiction is not recommended for younger readers, they might enjoy this book by another favorite author.

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