by Meg Wolitzer
Dutton Children's Books, 2011
Genre: Fiction, Fantasy
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Review: Hoping to change his image at school as the new kid nicknamed "Lunch Meat," Duncan reveals a secret skill to his peers that gets the attention of the leader of the school's Scrabble team--and one of Duncan's bullies--who convinces Duncan to join him at the national youth Scrabble tournament in Yakemee, Florida. There, Duncan meets a boy who's been trained for the tournament in order to make up for his father's childhood loss at the same tournament, and a girl who hopes to find a boy she met briefly three years ago and taught to play Scrabble but whom she knows nothing about, not even his name. Duncan and his new friends find more than competition at the tournament: they each risk a part of themselves in order to succeed, and Duncan learns it takes a lot of courage to do the right thing.
Opinion: The plot was uncluttered and fairly simple with no overarching themes and just a touch of fantasy, which is appealing for certain kids. The language was very tame. However, Wolitzer's writing style is filled with grammatical errors that this publisher somehow overlooked again and again, and every time I came across one it disrupted my reading experience (so, at least once every page!) Commas in language are musical in a way--I think of the rest symbol used in music in places where a note should not be held or no note should be played--and overuse can create dis-chord rather than fluid sentences. Misusing the comma is common in undergraduate writing and it does appear to happen in many novels, and I'm sure that many publishers don't see the type of use as problematic; however, I take issue with it because it both makes her book a clunky read (too many unnecessary, lengthy mental pauses when you encounter those commas) and it subconsciously plants the idea in youth that hers is the proper way to use commas. My opinion of this book is that it is a good book for reluctant readers, especially those who identify with the outsider Duncan, but I would not pick it up again for a second reading. Once was enough for my fingertips!
Ideas: This book is inspiring for non-Scrabble players and enthusiasts alike. I thought I was a pretty good player myself until I read about anagrams, bingobangobongos, and the list of two-letter words playable (and Wolitzer includes entire lists of acceptable words in both categories in the book, perfect for memorizing!) A class wanting to have some fun with this book can start a Scrabble club or have a Scrabble day; it is a great way to teach children new words, and students can practice challenging their peers to learn which words are real and playable and which are considered real but are not playable ("Spork" is Wolitzer's example in the story).
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