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Books about LanguageA Bibliography by Julie Reimer

More classroom extensions are available at www.debrafrasier.com

Marianthe’s Story One: Painted WordsMarianthe’s Story Two: Spoken MemoriesAliki 1998. ISBN 0-688-15662-2 (HC)

Two stories are told in sequence. Marianthe arrives as an immi-grant to an English-speaking classroom and through her we experience the difficulties of not understanding the simplest words. The language of art, however, crosses all borders and our first hint of her past comes

from the pictures she paints. “I am drawing what I can’t talk,” the text tells us. After (literally) flipping the book a second story takes us forward in time where Marianthe has mastered words and reveals her story.

The Word EaterAmato, Mary Holiday House, 2000. ISBN: 0-8234-1468-X (HC)

Two stories are intertwined in this book. Fip, a voracious bookworm, is eating words, causing the object they represent to completely disappear. Fip has been discovered by a sixth-grad-er, Lerner Chase, desperately seeking her identity in a new place. Each chapter begins with a page from Bookworm’s Desk Calendar.

Pitch and Throw, Grasp and Know: What is a Synonym?Gable, Brian, illus. Carolrhoda, 2004. ISBN: 1-575-05796-4 (HC)

Help learners understand the importance of using different words for variety and interest in their writing with the help of the examples in this book. Grouped into lessons, entertaining charac-ters enact the words. The syn-onyms are identified with same-color text. The author has created many other books about

the parts of speech, each as witty as this title.In this series, also see:

To Root, to Toot, to Parachute: What’s a Verb?

Stop and Go, Yes and No, What is an Antonym?

FrindleClements, Andrew Simon & Schuster, 1996. ISBN: 0-689-0669-8 (HC)

Fifth-grader Nick Allen has always been inventive and assertive. When he decides to shift the representation for the word pen to frindle, a word of his creation, a battle over word origins and the power to change language ensues.

With help from the amazing Gertie Geck, picture book gourmet, and Debra Frasier, I have put together a group of books that brings words—with their beauty, usefulness, and near-magical qualities— to the center of a story. Our idea was to offer a list of “word-centric” stories that could be used dur-

ing a month- or year-long focus on this central subject. Think about including the Vocabulary Parade from Miss Alaineus: A Vocabulary Disaster (written and illustrated by Debra Frasier, Harcourt, 2000, ISBN 0-15-202163-9) as a grand finale activity. Do you have word books we can add to the list? Email them to Debra and we will add your suggestions to the list. Enjoy! —JR



Donovan’s Word JarDeGross, Monalisa HarperCollins, 1994. ISBN: 0-060-20191-6 (HC)

An African-American boy collects words that catch his attention (like: extraterrestrial, orchestral, perseverance, boister-ous). He stores them in a jar that is one day filled to the brim. He wonders what to do with his collection when fate steps in to help. His jar is opened by members of a senior citizens group who, when they read the

words, are cheered by memories. A slower-paced book that once again underlines the near magical power of words and memory.

Demi’s OppositeDemi Grosset & Dunlap, 1987. ISBN: 0-448-18995-X (PB)

Using comparative preposi-tions, adjectives, verbs, and nouns, Demi introduces concepts and ideas through the animals in this book. Readers can learn the mean-ings of words and then look for the carefully selected animals on specific pages. Find the fish that is coming

and the one that is going in a spiral. Locate the pandas that are asleep or awake. At the end, find the begin-ning or the end of a snake.

Monkey BusinessEdwards, Wallace Kids Can Press, 2004. ISBN: 1-55337-462-2 (HC)

An idiom is defined on the first page of this book, and the subsequent pages contain illustrations paired with idioms to aid in understanding of the words. Gavin, a large grasshop-per, is “snug as a bug in a rug,” wrapped in a carpet while reading comic books. A basset hound named Phil learns to play

by ear while holding his bow with his long ear. A list of what each idiom really means is provided at the end of the book. Word WizardFalwell, Cathryn Clarion Books, 1998. ISBN: 0-395-85580-2 (HC)

This creative book about anagrams – words or phrase created when the letters of different words are rearranged – will prompt readers to think about language in innovative ways. The narrator discovers the possibilities in the alphabet cereal, and she ingeniously

rearranges or adds letters to make things happen in the story. Cut-paper illustrations enhance the text.

Wonderful Words: Poems about Reading, Writ-ing, Speaking and ListeningHopkins, Lee Bennett ; Karen Barbour, illus. Simon & Schuster, 2004. ISBN: 0-689-83588-4 (HC)

This selection of poems aims to reveal the power of words through the compact poem. Emily Dickinson, Eve Merriam, and Nikki Giovanni are among the authors that prove this premise! Take these poems slowly, one a day, or one a week, for a dose of humor, or beauty, or both.



Many Luscious LollipopsHeller, RuthGrosset & Dunlap, 1989. ISBN: 0-448-02151-5 (HC

Learn all about adjectives in this bright and brilliant book from the World of Language Series. With rhymes and rhythm, the author encourages the use of descriptive words that go beyond those ordinary choices. This title is from a series of books about the parts of speech.

In this series also see:• Kites Sail High, A Book About Verbs• Fantastic! Wow! And Unreal!, A Book About Inter-

jections and Conjunctions

A Poke in the I: A Collection of Concrete PoemsJaneczko, Paul A.; Chris Raschka, illus. Candlewick, 2001. ISBN: 0-763-60661-8. (HC)

Concrete poems are defined in the introduction of this unique collection of 30 poems. The way the words are arranged, the spac-ing between words and letters, and even the font bring defini-tion to the concrete poems. “Easy Diver” is shaped like the

pigeon it describes. Swirls of poems show the “Skip-ping Rope Spell” across the pages. The poems and arrangements will prompt thinking about words!

A Surfeit of SimilesJuster, Norton; Small, David, illus. William Morrow & Company, 1989. ISBN: 0-688-08139-8 (HC)

The character narrators attempt to define just what a simile is and is not, using illustrated exam-ples. In rhyming text, similes describe animals, foods, flowers, objects, and people. The narra-tors warn about making unreal-istic comparisons, and they show that “sometimes, what some-thing isn’t – can tell you a lot about what it is.” The last page provides a clear definition.

The Phantom TollboothJuster, Norton Knopf Books for Young Readers, 1961. ISBN: 0-394-81500-9 (HC)

Milo was a boy who “regarded the process of seeking knowl-edge as the greatest waste of time.” When an odd, enormous package appears in his room, he is a bit confused to discover a tollbooth in the wrapping, accompanied by maps and cautionary signs. Thus begins Milo’s extraordinary, astonish-

ing, and incredible journey to Dictionopolis, the Island of Conclusions, the Mountains of Ignorance and many more intriguing places. Word journeys abound.



There’s a Frog in My Throat! 440 Animal Sayings a Little Bird Told MeLeedy, Loreen Holiday House, 2003. ISBN: 0-8234-1774-3 (HC)

Grouped by animals and animal subjects, this book features common (and not-so-ordinary) expressions and sayings that sometimes make learners wonder. Under each small illustration and saying, a brief interpretation of that saying is provided.

The Alphabet TreeLionni, Leo Knopf Books for Young Readers, 2004. ISBN: 0-394-81016-3 (HC)

The windswept letters of the alphabet tree learn how to bond together in strength and mean-ing in lessons from the wordbug. Each page shows their increased growth, and their final message rings true in many hearts.

Do Not Open This BookMuntean, Michaela; Lemaitre, Pascal, illus. Scholastic Press, 2006 ISBN: 0-439-69839-1 (HC)

Well, of course we opened the book—and that starts a rash of recriminations by the struggling pig author. As the pages turn, the pig whines (“please go away”) but before the last page author and reader discover they’ve written a book! Very funny and a delight to read.

The Alphabet KeeperMurphy, Mary Knopf Books for Young Readers, 2003. ISBN: 0-375-82347-6 (HC)

The grouchy Alphabet Keeper locks all the letters in a cage, but a gust of wind blows them to freedom and to word creation as they collect to spell words out in the world. Just when it seems they are in trouble,

they rearrange themselves to change word and mean-ing. Learners will appreciate the adventures and will be prompted to think about how they use words.

Nouns and Verbs Have a Field DayPulver, Robin; Reed, Lynn Rowe, illus. Holiday House, 2006. ISBN: 0-823-41982-7

Students head out-of-doors for a Field Day and jealous words follow them. Teams are formed and the noun team, verb team, pronoun teams, etc, find they’ve lost their power without mixing things up. By the time the students return, everything is

chaos and the uproarious mayhem will make listeners laugh. Supplementary exercises, tongue twisters and a riddle complete the book. (By the creators of Punctua-tion Takes a Vacation)



The Boy Who Loved WordsSchotter, Roni; Potter, Giselle, illus. Schwartz & Wade, 2006 ISBN: 0-375-93601-7 (HC)

Selig is a boy who collects words. He notes words that stir his heart, or make him laugh, or swoon. He papers the world with his words in his newfound life’s mission to spread words to others. This story will not appeal to everyone as it does challenge,

but it offers delight to the reader patient enough to follow the meanings, especially for upper level elementary readers. It Figures!: Fun Figures of SpeechTerban, Marvin; Maestro, Giulio, illus. Clarion Books, 1993. ISBN: 0-395-61584-4 (HC)

Learners discover ways to enhance their language use through the descriptions and examples in this book. Concepts of alliteration, onomatopoeia, hyperbole, simile, metaphor, and personification are presented in conjunction with humorous illustrations.

Pig Pigger PiggestWalton, Rick; Holder, Jimmy, illus. Gibbs Smith, 1997. ISBN: 0-8790-5806-4 (HC)

The three pigs in this story are interestingly named as described in the book title, all because of their sizes. The houses they build, the actions they take, and their decisions are all expressed in comparisons about size.

The Pig in the SpigotWilbur, Richard; Seibold, J. Otto, illus. Harcourt, 2000. ISBN: 0-152-02019-5 (HC)

Dissecting words to discover the smaller words hidden inside larger ones will change the way readers think. Rhymed examples are enhanced by the illustrations that also play on the word dissection. Think about where a person might experience nausea or the creature that might reside in your bugle.

Elbert’s Bad WordWood, Audrey; Wood, Don, illus. Harcourt, 1988. ISBN: 0-152025320-3 (HC)

While attending “an elegant garden party,” Elbert is exposed to a new word, and he uses that word in front of the adults at the party. The word is portrayed as a black, furry monster, and it lurks about him. Only when the gardener, truly a wizard, con-cocts alternative word choices is

Elbert able to express himself appropriately. The bad word scurries down a hole.

Abracadabra to Zombie: More Than 300 Wacky Word OriginsLee, Jared, illus. Dutton Children’s Books, 2003. ISBN: 0-525-47100-6 (HC)

Learn about the history and hearsay of words, names, phrases, products and acronyms in this most interesting guide to words. Did you know “home plate” was really once a heavy plate of iron? A complete list of state names in the S section tells their name origins. Additional intriguing facts spring up in

bubbles within explanations.



Alpha Oops! The Day Z Went FirstKontis, Alethea, Kolar, Bob illus. Candlewick, 2006. ISBN 0-7636-2728-3 (HC)

Writing lines at the bottom of the pages show a scholarly character trying valiantly to display the letters as they appear. Instead of A is for Apple, Z decides it is time to switch the order. Not the typical alphabet book. Allitera-tion abounds! End pages are filled with tumbling letters.

Max’s Wordsby Kate Banks, Boris Kulikov, illustrator Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, 2006. ISBN 0-374-39949-2 (HC)

Max’s brothers have collections of things like coins and stamps, but Max decides to collect something more interesting: words! His word collection contains basic and extraordi-nary words, and sharing it with his brothers prompts the

creation of concrete poems and even short stories. Inspiration to collect words and create from them will be spurred by this entertaining story.

Hailstones and Halibut BonesBy Mary O’Neill, John Wallner, illus. Doubleday, 1989. ISBN 0-385-24484-3 (HC)

The colors featured in this book “twist and turn and leap and blend/Into shapes and feelings without end” as they are com-pared and paired with things in our world. Purple, gold, black, brown, blue, gray, white, orange, red, pink, green, and yellow take on images and emotions of the common and extraordinary. Encourage readers and writers to compose color comparisons with

their own vibrant language.

A Children’s Almanac of Words at PlayBy Willard R. Espy, Bruce Cayard, illus. Clarkson N. Potter, Inc., 1982. ISBN 0-517-54660-4 (HC)

This entertaining book has a word activity for every day of the year. From puns to riddles to poems to jokes to logic problems, readers can experience all sorts of interest-ing word play. Consider how to spell fish differently on May 26th or how to speak/spell only in letters on October 14th. Whether

this book is used chronologically or randomly, readers are certain to enhance their language learning!

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