A narrative portrait of the America's national spelling bee competition offers insight into its subculture of young wordsmiths, competitive parents, and spectator tension, sharing the stories of five top contestants to offer insight into their ambitions and winning strategies. 40,000 first printing.

"Allow me to introduce you to a remarkable book, full of love, wonder, hope, and the importance of getting to be who you were meant to be. You must read this." - David Levithan, author of Every Day and editor of George. When people look at George, they think they see a boy. But she knows she's not a boy. She knows she's a girl. George thinks she'll have to keep this a secret forever. Then her teacher announces that their class play is going to be Charlotte's Web. George really, really, REALLY wants to play Charlotte. But the teacher says she can't even try out for the part . . . because she's a boy.

This book documents the real-life story of Kendra Yoshinaga, a young speller who won her first qualifying bee at the young age of nine. Now only twelve years old, she prepared for her third bee and returned to Washington, DC where she tied for 14th in the 2006 Scripps National Spelling Bee Gail Small taught Kendra for first, second, and third grades. Together they share a love of learning and discovery, and the challenges of new ideas. This book describes the spelling bee experiences from a youth's viewpoint. Young readers can delight in the world of spelling so it becomes a natural and exciting part of their lives. "Secrets" of a teacher, coach, and parent reveal proven tactics to foster a confident speller. These distinctive methods will inspire a love for spelling and language in lessons that go far beyond everyday practice. Launch your students on an inspiring quest for knowledge--the words will jump off the pages as the illustrations enliven the story. This book will help them to enjoy the wonders of spelling bees along with the inside moments that only those at the bee have previously experienced. A detailed spelling guide is included for parents, coaches, and teachers of spellers at all ages.

A new American journey.

Does your child dream of winning a school spelling bee, or even competing in the Scripps National Spelling Bee in the Washington, D.C., area? You've found the perfect place to start. Words of the Champions: Your Key to the Bee is the new official study resource from the Scripps National Spelling Bee. Help prepare your child for a 2020 or 2021 classroom, grade-level, school, regional, district or state spelling bee with this list of 4,000 spelling words. The School Spelling Bee Study List, featuring 450 words, is part of the total collection. All words in this guide may be found in our official dictionary, Merriam-Webster Unabridged (http: //unabridged.merriam-webster.com/)