Customer Reviews

The Word Snoop

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In "The Word Snoop," Ursula Dubosarsky delves into the idiosyncracies of English with bravado and passion. Her work is meaty and funny. She dishes up scholarly information about the quirks of our language, from the history of silent letters and tautologies (saying the same thing twice, such a frozen ice) to tongue twisters and lipograms (writing only with words that do not contact a certain letter, such as no words that have an "s."). "Snoop" is a marvelous resource for teachers who want to pepper lessons with memorable bits and for adults who relish words. The book is well-designed for its target group: ages 9-12. Its 10 chapters are divided into many short sections -- ideal for short-attention spans. Drawings and graphic devices also help readers focus on each pivotal point.

The Word Snoop by Ursula Dubosarsky, was a refreshing and entertaining look at the history and idiosyncrasies of the English language. The narrator (The Word Snoop) is on a mission to understand the English language. He takes the audience from the dawn of the written word, through the Anglo-saxon period, passed the age of William the Conqueror, up to Shakespeare and culminating in the examination of the "new" language of texting and computers. The Snoop goes on to investigate idioms, anagrams, palindromes, and portmanteau words among other quirky, quaint and queer uses and expressions in English. It is the perfect independent-study grammar resource for gifted students. I am buying 25 (class set!!). Check it out. It is a fabulous book for anyone who loves Language.
MORENABS ( think anagrams)

Ursula Dubosarsky has put together a book that will delight anyone who likes puzzles and words;particularly if you enjoy both of these forms of entertainment,pastimes,humor,creativeness, or just plain nonsense.Just about any writer of maker of puzzles deals in words in one way or another.
Many books have been written on any one of the chapters of Anagrams,Paragrams,Acronyms,Palindromes,Nmemonics,Oxymorons,Puns,Mondegreens, Tongue Twisters,Portmanteaus,Snurtles,Euphemisms,Doublespeak,Cliches,Tautology Nicknames, Spoonerisms ,Malapropisms,and even more.This little tome covers them all.Some are very familiar to just about everyone,some are off the wall,some may be familiar to you ,but you never knew there was a name for them.This playing around with words has gone on ever since words and language was invented.But there is a whole new form taking place with the computer ,the Internet and Texting.It may have been started with something as simple as "The Smiley Face";but this has expanded as the world of writing has moved from the "professional writers" to what we have today with practically everyone who has access to a keyboard has become a "composer unrestrained by any convention but their imagination".I even have a little book published by Carlton Books titled "1000 Text Messages TXT TLK How 2 Tlk W/o Bng Hrd.There is no doubt about it TXT TLK must be considered a new language.
The booh even give a bit of history on our language and how it developed from simple scratches to the alphabets we now use.This evolution took many thousands of years,but at no time did it develop as quickly as it did during the extremely short period of "The Computer Age";and as is often said,"You Ain't seen Nothin' yet".If you think back at how we have trouble reading what is called "Old English",can you just imagine the trouble we would have if we were to see the way people will be communicating with one another in 50 or 100 years?
Dubosarsky even talks about the way language was controlled in the past,the official spelling of words,the proper use of grammar ,puncuation,etc. English has always been "A Living Language",official bodies,schools etc.tried to control how we communicate in both written and verbal forms;but the restraints on individuals is virtually a thing of the past.
As wild and wolly as things are getting,don't worry,somehow we'll all figure it out.
LtsGeTTexting
GTng2gthr

Everyone used ASAP without any trouble;so what's so difficult with?
2Day and 2moro
or
CU2nite @8
or even
GnaMakUAnOFfUCntRfs ,come on,"Gonna make you an offer you can't refuse"
Now you got the idea ,try this,
RUAlwysThsDmbOrRUMkngASpclFrt2day?
Now here are a few use of symbols.See if you can match them with these meanings;

[:-/ Mad,Very Mad,You Make Me Sick,
Very Displeased,Very Sad
:-C

:-[*]

>:-<

>:-<<

WTHDTM

What the hell does that mean?

YHBW

You have been warned.

The Word Snoop is a book that examines all sorts of word forms, like synonyms, homophones, antonyms, even Pig Latin. It is a helpful and explanatory book. However, the way the author writes seems to be directed to young children. The clues and puzzles are very simple. It was on a 6th grade reading list, though I find that it seems more closely related to 3rd graders and 4th graders.

My son really enjoyed this book. It kept his attention and had a lot of unique information in it. Great for any pre-teen!

I just love this book. It has great ideas to help me guide my students in word meanings, and its fun. I checked it out from our school library and couldn't resist adding to my personal library. I think you'll like it too.

My son (8 y.o.) absolutely loved it! He had so much fun reading it and cracking decoded messages. Some chapters we read together and I learned a lot too! Great book - I highly recommend it to children who love reading (and their parents too).