Scholastic Dictionary of Idioms [Paperback]

Marvin Terban (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1, 2006 | Age Level: 9 and up | Grade Level: 4 and up

If you think idioms are a "tough nut to crack," pick up the revised SCHOLASTIC DICTIONARY OF IDIOMS. Fun new design and more than 700 common American phrases, sayings, and expressions.

Cat got your tongue? Penny for your thoughts? Come again? Every day, idioms bring color to our speech. Since they don't really mean what they say, idioms can stump even the native English-speaker. Marvin Terban makes understanding idioms "as easy as pie" with the revised SCHOLASTIC DICTIONARY OF IDIOMS. Explanations for, and origins of, more than 700 everyday American idioms, complete with kid-friendly sample sentences. The entries are amusing as well as educational. Alphabetical listing and cross-referencing index makes finding idioms a "piece of cake."

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9 and up
  
• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Scholastic Reference; Revised edition (July 1, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0439770831
• ISBN-13: 978-0439770835
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 6.3 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,305 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #1 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > Reference & Nonfiction > Dictionaries
  • #2 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > Reference & Nonfiction > General
  • #3 in Books > Children's Books > Education & Reference > Dictionaries

More About the Author

Marvin Terban's popular wordplay books for Clarion include IN A PICKLE AND OTHER FUNNY IDIOMS and TOO HOT TO HOOT: FUNNY PALINDROME RIDDLES. He lives in New York City.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book!, January 15, 2007

By 

Reader and "Mom of 3 Boys" (Western Springs, IL) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Scholastic Dictionary of Idioms (Paperback)

This book was recommended to me by another mom whose child also has Asperger's Syndrome. These kids just don't get idioms or nuances of the spoken language among other things. This is a well-written, fun book for ALL kids. My two sons(11 and 9 years) LOVE having me read several of the idioms each night. It is a ritual at this point! I read them the idiom and the sentence and they try to guess the meaning. The definitions and history are really fun and fascinating. I recommend this book to all kids!

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book!, June 26, 2007

By 

Jennifer L. Morrow - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Scholastic Dictionary of Idioms (Paperback)

I teach fifth grade in a school with a high level of English Language Learners. We learned an idiom each week and this book gives the origin of the idiom, which is what really hooked my students to learning about them. I have bought 3 of these books now for fellow teachers!

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Highly recommend this book!!!, September 30, 2007

By 

Lee Min Young (Charlotte, NC) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Scholastic Dictionary of Idioms (Paperback)

I really would LOVE to recommend this book for all of people who are learning English as a second language and hope to know English idioms. I am from Korea, but now I am staying in N.C. to learn English. I was looking for some books that could helps me to understand the meaning of idioms because sometimes it was too difficult for me to figure out what they mean. This book has more than 700 idioms with examples, meanings and origins. The origins help me to remember the idioms easier. After I read some, I finally understand why people use idioms in particular situations and I feel like I will never forget them. It may not really helpful for academic courses or daily conversation, but it is easy to read anytime and it is good for FUN! Unless I am older than twenty, this book is fun enough! And especially, this is cheaper than others. So, I'd like to say just buy and read. I am 99% sure that buying this book is going to be a good choice!