Woe is I Jr.: The Younger Grammarphobe's Guide to Better English in PlainEnglish [Hardcover]

Patricia T. O'Conner (Author), Tom Stiglich (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 10, 2007 | Age Level: 9 and up | Grade Level: 4 and up

Who ever said grammar can't be funny?

As Patricia T. O'Conner proved in the adult version of Woe Is I, grammar can entertaining and easy to understand. And now she's made it fun for middle-graders. With funny chapter names like "Incredible Shrinking Words," silly poems about meatballs, and examples that reference Shrek and earwax jelly beans, kids will know this isn't a dry, boring reference book-conversational language and humorous examples painlessly illuminate the rules of the English language.

Like a humorous Strunk and White for fourth through eighth graders, this is destined to become a must-have for every English classroom and student.

--This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 4–8—O'Conner has produced a grammar guide for children using the witty, lighthearted style that made Woe Is I (Putnam, 1996) so popular. She covers pronouns, plurals, possessives, verb usage, subject-verb agreement, capitalization, and punctuation with jargon-free explanations and entertaining examples (Shrek, Count Olaf, Garfield, and Harry Potter all put in appearances). Additional chapters on commonly confused and misspelled words, clichés, and instant messaging and e-mails make this a well-rounded and useful guide to grammar in the 21st century. The scattered comic-strip-style illustrations neither add to nor detract from its value. Handbooks that are as instructive as they are entertaining are few and far between, making this a first purchase for most libraries.—Amanda Raklovits, Champaign Public Library, IL
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Review

Get ready for a very funny and clever read about grammar that combines entertainment and learning in one! -- Children's Book-of-the-Month Club

O'Conner's lack of jargon makes the book's grammar approachable and fresh. -- Slow Reads

[a] well-rounded and useful guide to grammar in the 21st century. -- School Library Journal

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9 and up
  
• Hardcover: 176 pages
• Publisher: Putnam Juvenile (May 10, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0399243313
• ISBN-13: 978-0399243318
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #179,650 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Patricia T. O'Conner, a former editor at The New York Times Book Review, has written five books about the English language--the bestselling Woe Is I: The Grammarphobe's Guide to Better English in Plain English; Origins of the Specious: Myths and Misconceptions of the English Language (with Stewart Kellerman); Words Fail Me: What Everyone Who Writes Should Know About Writing; Woe Is I Jr.: The Younger Grammarphobe's Guide to Better English in Plain English; and You Send Me: Getting It Right When You Write Online (with Stewart Kellerman).

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Over 13? Keep Reading. . ., June 13, 2007

By 

D. Karras - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Woe is I Jr.: The Younger Grammarphobe's Guide to Better English in PlainEnglish (Hardcover)

Jr. is every bit as funny and useful as the original. Although it is written for a younger reader the large print and witty illustrations (both the drawings and written explanations) also make it perfect for a Sr. reader who needs a quick reference. For example, I can never remember whether to italicize or use quotation marks for book titles. But I simply check the index under italics and quickly find my answer on page 93. What a great help! I wish I were the author (see page 56 - Wishful Thinking: Was or Were?).

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A spoonful of humor helps the grammar go down!, June 7, 2007

By 

G. G. Urban (New Jersey) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Woe is I Jr.: The Younger Grammarphobe's Guide to Better English in PlainEnglish (Hardcover)

This is a terrific book to help the younger set realize that good grammar is not only important - it can be fun, too. Ms. O'Conner writes this one with the same wit and cultural relevance demonstrated in the 'adult' version. Her references to characters today's kids know and love provide an amusing and entertaining means of getting her message across - that using good English is easy ... and can be mastered without tears and fear. As a mom and a professional librarian also, I'll be recommending this book over and over.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome Grammar Bedtime Stories!, November 25, 2007

By 

David Cook (Pasadena, CA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Woe is I Jr.: The Younger Grammarphobe's Guide to Better English in PlainEnglish (Hardcover)

Being a father of 2 girls, the younger 7 and the older 9, bedtime stories continue to be a compulsory nighttime ritual. I usually end the day with something from the "kids section" of the bookshelf that consist of books that I purchased when they were, erm...4 and 6, so as you can imagine, I was recently on Amazon ordering updated books for my daughters.

That's when I ran across this gem of a book.

It's a grammar book! But it's funny and doesn't get boring! Serious!

Now, granted, I'm the kind of dad who reads childrens books with wild enthusiasm, facial contortions, wide vocal range, the appropriate silly remark, sound effect or armpit tickle, but despite my whacky delivery, this book managed to keep my daughters interest focused on the prose itself! Not only that, but due to its interactive format, my daughters were even yelling out answers to the enticing questions which succeeds the seemingly impossible task of melding academics and entertainment in the dreary subject of grammar...a subject, which is about as delicious as unsweetened oatmeal.

Now there's some food for thought!