<p/><br></br><p><b> Book Synopsis </b></p></br></br><p><strong>Where do words come from?―Teaching kids ages 9 to 12 vocabulary through word origins</strong></p><p>The English language is made up of words from different places, events, and periods of time. Each of those words has an exciting story to tell us about where, when, how, and why they came about. <em>Once Upon a Word</em> is packed with easy-to-understand definitions and awesome word origin stories. With this dictionary for kids, you can understand the history and meaning of English words, improve your vocabulary and spelling, and learn to play with language.</p><p>Explore how weird words like <em>gnome</em>, fun words like <em>zombie</em>, and common words like <em>caterpillar</em> came to exist. Discover why some words sound funnier than others (like <em>cackle</em>, <em>sizzle</em>, and <em>twang</em>) and why some groups of words start with the same few letters (like <em>hydrate</em>, <em>hydrogen</em>, and fire <em>hydrant</em>). In this dictionary for kids, there's a whole world of English words to uncover!</p><p>This unique dictionary for kids includes: </p><ul><li><strong>Roots & branches</strong>―Learn about the building blocks that make up words, called <em>roots</em>, <em>prefixes</em>, and <em>suffixes</em>.</li><li><strong>Kid-friendly definitions</strong>―Look up definitions designed for your reading level in this dictionary for kids.</li><li><strong>Word tidbits</strong>―Find out where your favorite food words got their start, from <em>bacon</em> to <em>marshmallow</em>, <em>spaghetti</em>, <em>yogurt</em>, and beyond.</li></ul><p>See how the English language evolved with this colorful dictionary for kids.</p><p/><br></br><p><b> Review Quotes </b></p></br></br><br><p>"This <strong>thorough and visually delightful book</strong> is a yellow-brick road paved with 'a-ha!' moments. It is <strong>written in an engaging style that will open the door wide for young minds</strong> to enter the magical world where language meets history. I expect it will inspire many of them to a lifetime of discovery in an overlooked field." <strong>--Douglas Harper, etymonline.com</strong></p> <p>"<em>Once Upon a Word</em> <strong>makes learning new words fun and efficient.</strong> Jess Zafarris has written a book that is accessible to kids and educational enough for adults. Every parent and educator should keep a copy for engaged minds on hand." <strong>--Jordan Rosenfeld, author of <em>How to Write a Page Turner</em></strong></p> <p>"As kids flip through this book, they'll feel like they're decoding secret messages from the past. <strong>This book teaches an important lesson: by understanding language we can better understand each other and the world around us.</strong> I love that." <strong>--Aubre Andrus, award-winning children's book author</strong></p><br>