Customer Reviews

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

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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?).

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.

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!

Who knew grammar could be such a good time? I like this version even better than the one for 'grown-ups'! This is a truly entertaining, informative and enriching read.

The junior version of Patricia O'Conner's WOE IS I, the best-selling grammar guide for adults, is written in a witty, fun manner for elementary to middle school grade levels and provides a lively series of examples covering both good and bad grammar. From confusing look-alike words to plural verbs which help multiply subjects, WOE IS I JUNIOR is an excellent survey adding life and fun to the topic of understanding English.

My son is in second grade, and his teacher suggested that I give him his own copy of this book because he enjoyed it so much at school. I was a bit skeptical about a grammar book being well received as a gift, but bought it and gave it to him for Christmas. When he unwrapped it, he started jumping up and down with excitement and quickly turned to the page that contained a poem about punctuation and recited it to us (over and over again!). The author really does make grammar fun. My son enjoys this book so much that I bought his dad the adult version.

O'Conner covers the basic grammar usage rules that every student should know before entering high school, and everyone should know, full stop. If you have trouble with grammar, this is your book. Woe Is I (the original version)is more for writers and lovers of the English language. She does a wonderful job of getting the points across clearly and easily.

If you are in high school, look at this book. It is the definitive guide to what grammar rules you should absolutely know, especially before the SAT.

I ordered this book after reading the adult version from the library (I ordered that too). My thirteen year old daughter agreed to give the book a try and ended up loving up. She thought it was useful information and entertaining. I teach seventh and eighth grade language arts and hope to incorporate some material from the book in our writing workshop classes.

I got this to help my eleven year old with his English. I also use it when I'm writing stories for my writing class. It is easy to follow and actually fun to read. The funny characters help you remember some of the tough aspects of English.