How to Spell Like a Champ [Paperback]

Barrie Trinkle (Author), Carolyn Andrews (Author), Paige Kimble (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 8 and up | Grade Level: 3 and up

How to spell, from “A-D-A-G-I-O” to “Z-U-C-C-H-I-N-I”

At last, everything you need to master the art of spelling. Learn the basic rules and all their annoying exceptions, plus 26 words of unknown origin, like curmudgeon. • Discover the four most commonly misspelled word types (#3: words with a schwa). • Don’t know what a schwa is? Aren’t sure about the difference between antonyms and eponyms? Discreet and discrete? Here’s your chance to learn all the tricks and tips that’ll make you a bee winner! • Oh, and did we mention the pages and pages of skill-building puzzles and games?

Editorial Reviews

Book Description

Be all over “minuscule.” Score big with “curvaceous.” Hit “trireme” out of the park. From the authorities behind the Scripps National Spelling Bee comes a comprehensive illustrated book on the endangered art of spelling.

Written for ages 9 and up, How to Spell Like a Champ shows kids how to build word lists, and organize and study them most effectively. How to gain knowledge of etymology, word roots, and spelling patterns from English and other languages. Here are commonly missed words and word patterns— and those feisty (who said “i before e except after c”?) words that don’t fit any pattern. Synonyms, antonyms, eponyms. Suffixes and prefixes. Plus, a whole chapter of word searches and other skill-building games enforces the lessons learned. The book is also a spelling bee primer for the ten million kids who participate in Scripps spelling bees on the local level. It tells what to study, how to study, how much to study. Readers learn what to expect in a bee—whether a classroom contest or the Scripps National Final—and how they can make it through each round by asking the right questions and using their well-honed instincts. Included is an audio CD featuring Dr. Jacques Bailly himself, the official voice of the National Spelling Bee as heard on ABC, ESPN, and in the movies.

Spelling bees are hot stuff: The National Spelling Bee is one of ESPN’s most talked about annual broadcasts, plus bees are the subject of a Tony award–winning Broadway musical, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee; a bestselling novel, Bee Season; an Oscar-nominated documentary, Spellbound; and a forthcoming major motion picture starring Laurence Fishburne, Akeelah and the Bee.

Today’s word: “estimable.”

About the Author

Barrie Trinkle, a graduate of MIT, has served on the Bee’s Word Panel since 1996. She was the 1973 National Spelling Champion (her word was “vouchsafe”).

Paige Kimble is the director of the Scripps National Spelling Bee. She was also the 1981 National Spelling Champion (her word was “sarcophagus”).

Carolyn Andrews is the word list manager for the Scripps National Spelling Bee. Her son, Ned, was the 1994 National Spelling Champion (his word was “antediluvian”).

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Workman Publishing Company (October 20, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0761143696
• ISBN-13: 978-0761143697
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 7.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #105,814 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

77 of 80 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars How to Spell Like a Champ Review, December 29, 2006

A Kid's Review

This review is from: How to Spell Like a Champ (Paperback)

Before I review this book, I should tell you my story--a story of spelling. I am a 13-year-old 8th grade girl who was in the hospital twice in the 7th Grade, sick with migraines for seven months and out of school for almost the whole year. Just when I thought I could go back to school in September for 8th grade, I got sick again in October and was out until the end of November. The week I came back, my teacher lined up the smartest students in the class to spell words they were studying. Since I had missed all the spelling tests, I was not one of them.

I knew that I used to be a good speller when I did go to school regularly and I always read a lot, even when I was really sick and I had to resort to audio books. So, I asked my teacher if I could participate. He nodded and in that spelling bee, I spelled as if I had never missed a day of school. Can you believe I tied as top speller in my class along with my twin sister, the #1 ranked student in the school? Since I was a winner, the next week, I found myself on stage in front of my whole school anxiously waiting for words with 11 other children hoping to win and represent our school in the District spelling bee.

After a few rounds, because of my studying (and a little bit of luck) I survived to be one of the 5 finalists. My twin sister stood up next and was asked to spell "bureaucracy". She spelled it incorrectly and walked off the stage --- 4 remained. One after the other, student tripped up on hard words that the teachers were throwing at the students. There were two left. I was one of them. One would be the champ of the school spelling bee. The 7th grader had to spell "nemesis" in order to win. Instead, she spelled it "nemisis". She had tripped up, but I knew the word! I happily spelled it "n-e-m-e-s-i-s", and in an instant, I had won my school bee. I was going to the District Bee! Since then, I have been training for the spelling bee with my coach (my mom) and reading "How to Spell Like a Champ".

"How to Spell Like a Champ" is one of the most informative books I have read. It teaches you about root words; Latin, Greek, Italian, French and Spanish based words. I am enjoying it, soaking up info like a sponge. It gives tips about how to study correctly, how to relax before the big day, and puzzles and crosswords with some words you might find in bees. The CD that comes with the book takes you on the journey of a spelling bee winner and made me more comfortable about the things I might encounter when I compete.

You know how serious basketball players sleep with their basketball and football players sleep with their football? Don't laugh, but I sleep with How to Spell Like a Champ under my pillow.

I suggest if you are going to a spelling bee --- whether it's a class, District, Regional or the National Bee --- get the book. You will be glad you did when you spell a word like "xanthosis"!

24 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Bravo!, April 5, 2007

By 

T. Woodbury (California) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: How to Spell Like a Champ (Paperback)

How to Spell Like a Champ is an excellent book and really helps students with spelling. My son read this book, and became very motivated. He decided to participate in the school spelling bee. He learned excellent study habits and how words with different language origins have different rules. This book includes word lists, stories of past spelling bee contestants at the national level, and includes a CD that puts you in the life of a student competing at the spelling bee from the class bee to the final round of the National Spelling Bee.

Three authors were involved in writing this book: Carolyn Andrew, Barrie Trinkle, and Paige Kimble. Carolyn Andrew's son won the national spelling bee in 1994, Barrie Trinkle won it in 1973, and Paige Kimble won it in 1981. My son was so motivated, and learned so much, he worked hard, and in result, won his school spelling bee, and got to compete in the regional spelling bee. In the regionals, he placed third. THIRD!!! I WAS SO HAPPY FOR HIM! I know he is excited about next year's spelling bee. You HAVE to buy this book. I would also highly recommend watching the movie Spellbound.

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Worth It, December 31, 2007

By 

M. Norcross "Professional Mother" (Upper Peninsula of Michigan) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: How to Spell Like a Champ (Paperback)

If you want to help your child win a spelling bee it is worth the investment. You cannot get by with out a Webster's third edition dictionary becuase you will have to provide pronunciation and definition to your child. Go more high tech and get the software version of the dictionary. It will save you hours of time looking words up.

This Champ book has a nice layout. You'll get to see previous national spellers, see what some spellers chose as careers, spelling rules, most common misspelled words and spelling games. I probably read the book more then my 5th grader did. However he did win his school bee, his district bee, and placed 5th at his regional bee.

The CD in nice too. Warning: The printer put a small slip of paper inside the book for words in the book that are misspelled accidently. Make sure you take an inkpen and change the spellings in the book before you hand it to your child. Chances are the little slip of paper will become lost.