How Do You Spell Geek? (An Avon Camelot Book) - Softcover

Peters, Julie Anne

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0380730537 ISBN 13: 9780380730537

Publisher: Camelot, 1997

Synopsis

Best friends and national spelling bee hopefuls Kimberly and Ann meet a nerdy newcomer who proves to be an excellent speller, a rival for the competition, and a threat to their friendship. Reprint.

About this title

From AudioFile:

The trials and tribulations of starting at a new school, of being a middle-school teenager, and of being in competition with a best friend are all dealt with in a down-to-earth manner as eighth-graders compete in a spelling contest. The story is written from the point of view of Ann Keller, who is asked by the principal to befriend a new girl, a former home-schooler who is starting public school for the first time. Narrator Julie Dretzin seems to have acquired a 13-year-old's voice for the production. She applies just the right degree of teenage-girl inflection in her speech to make the characters believable and endearing, and the dialogue whimsical and snappy. J.J.F. (c) AudioFile, Portland, Maine

From School Library Journal:

Grade 5-8-Middle schoolers Anne and Kimberly are best friends, and each other's toughest competition for the annual Spelling Bee. Trying to qualify for the National Spelling Bee, they spend endless hours practicing. When Anne is asked by the principal to act as a sponsor to help a new student, she reluctantly agrees. When she meets the awkward, nasal-voiced Lurlene, she is crestfallen. Lurlene has been home schooled with her numerous younger brothers and is hopelessly old-fashioned and naive. She is an excellent speller, and Anne encourages Lurlene to compete in the spelling bee. Working with Lurlene, Anne learns that appearances are not always accurate and, along the way, discovers much about friendship and families. Julie Peters (Little, 1996) adeptly brings the middle school atmosphere to life and draws listeners into the excitement of the spelling bees. Reader Julie Dretzin humorously captures the nuances of middle schoolers' speech, and is especially droll in her portrayal of the irritating yet sincere Lurlene. Although this will appeal primarily to girls, there is a multilayered story here that will motivate discussion and provoke interest in the National Spelling Bee.
Susan McCaffrey, Haslett High School, MI
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: Camelot
• Publication date: 1997
• ISBN 10: 0380730537
• ISBN 13: 9780380730537
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 144