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This collection is sure to satisfy passionate puzzleheads-those word nerds hungry for a new challenge. It features new brain games constructed just for this book, including “Mix-Ins” (anagrams with a novel twist) and “Half and Half” puzzles that involve tricky word-breaking and reassembling.
This book examines four types of shortcuts in the history of American education—streamlined paths to vocational success, cultural sophistication, college credentials, and the efficient use of English. The chapters profile Norman Rockwell, the Harvard Classics, Cliff Notes, speed reading, a Doctor of Arts diploma for college teachers, and other riveting examples of time-savers that attracted millions of ambitious Americans since the late 19th century.
For ten-year-old Gabe, the Summer Center for Gifted Enrichment is all that he dreamed it would be, but he must work hard to write about the fun in letters to Zach, his cool future stepbrother, without revealing that it is a camp for "nerds."
Ambrose Bukowski is a twelve-year-old with a talent for mismatching his clothes, for saying the wrong thing at the worst possible time, and for words. In short, he’s a self-described nerd. Making friends is especially hard because he and his overprotective mother, Irene, have had to move so often. And when bullies at his latest school almost kill him by deliberately slipping a peanut into his sandwich to set off his allergy, it's his mother who has the extreme reaction. From now on, Ambrose has to be home-schooled. Then Ambrose strikes up an unlikely friendship with the landlord's son, Cosmo, an ex-con who's been in prison. They have nothing in common except for Scrabble. But a small deception grows out of control when Ambrose convinces a reluctant Cosmo to take him to a Scrabble club. Could this spell disaster for Ambrose?
The New York Times bestselling author of The Year of Living Biblically goes on a rollicking journey to understand the enduring power of puzzles: why we love them, what they do to our brains, and how they can improve our world. “Even though I’ve never attempted the New York Times crossword puzzle or solved the Rubik’s Cube, I couldn’t put down The Puzzler.”—Gretchen Rubin, author of The Happiness Project and Better Than Before Look for the author’s new podcast, The Puzzler, based on this book! What makes puzzles—jigsaws, mazes, riddles, sudokus—so satisfying? Be it the formation of new cerebral pathways, their close link to insight and humor, or their community-building properties, they’re among the fundamental elements that make us human. Convinced that puzzles have made him a better person, A.J. Jacobs—four-time New York Times bestselling author, master of immersion journalism, and nightly crossworder—set out to determine their myriad benefits. And maybe, in the process, solve the puzzle of our very existence. Well, almost. In The Puzzler, Jacobs meets the most zealous devotees, enters (sometimes with his family in tow) any puzzle competition that will have him, unpacks the history of the most popular puzzles, and aims to solve the most impossible head-scratchers, from a mutant Rubik’s Cube, to the hardest corn maze in America, to the most sadistic jigsaw. Chock-full of unforgettable adventures and original examples from around the world—including new work by Greg Pliska, one of America’s top puzzle-makers, and a hidden, super-challenging but solvable puzzle—The Puzzler will open readers’ eyes to the power of flexible thinking and concentration. Whether you’re puzzle obsessed or puzzle hesitant, you’ll walk away with real problem-solving strategies and pathways toward becoming a better thinker and decision maker—for these are certainly puzzling times.
Grab a pencil and get ready to become a problem-solving superstar with activities, puzzles, and games that will give your brain a serious boost. Master mystifying mazes, crack coded messages, and uncover the secrets behind optical illusions, all while learning about your own amazing mind.
A collection of Word Power quizzes and other fun language and grammar facts that will appeal to word nerds, knowledge hunters, and students of all ages. Want to sound smarter in business meetings? Finally beat your brainy uncle at Word Cookies? Ace that standardized test? Whatever your reasons for wanting to improve your vocabulary, you won’t find a funner way of doing so than Word Power (and yes, “funner” is really a word!). For instance, do you know what these words mean: Orthoepy – A: code. B: proper pronunciation. C: sign language. Zyzzyva – A: type of weevil. B: tricky situation. C: fertilized cell Fricassee – A: cut and stew in gravy. B: deep-fry. C: sautee with mushrooms And do know when it’s okay to use a double negative or start a sentence with “Because”? Word Power will answer all these questions and much more for hours of language fun for word nerds and grammar gurus.
Word mastery comes from intimate knowledge of language. In Word Nerds : Teaching All Students to Learn and Love Vocabulary, authors Leslie Montgomery and Margot Holmes Smith take you inside classrooms where they implement creative, flexible vocabulary instruction that improves their students' word knowledge and confidence. With support from literacy specialist Brenda Overturf, the authors developed a five-part plan to teach all students to learn vocabulary: Introducing new words in contextAdding related synonyms and antonymsEngaging in several days of active learningCelebrating new wordsAssessing vocabulary developmentThis easy-to-read reference explains how to plan, teach, and assess based on the latest research in vocabulary instruction and learning. After incorporating the authors' plan, you can be a Word Nerd too!
It's always a great day for word play! From the word experts Merriam-Webster Kids, this book is bursting with word puzzles to exercise your mind and build up your vocabulary. Jumble, shuffle, scramble, and follow the clues to solve puzzles ranging from easy to extreme. As you go, learn word meanings, fun facts, and more!
Most people know a nerd when they see one but can't define just what a nerd is. American Nerd: The Story of My People gives us the history of the concept of nerdiness and of the subcultures we consider nerdy. What makes Dr. Frankenstein the archetypal nerd? Where did the modern jock come from? When and how did being a self-described nerd become trendy? As the nerd emerged, vaguely formed, in the nineteenth century, and popped up again and again in college humor journals and sketch comedy, our culture obsessed over the designation. Mixing research and reportage with autobiography, critically acclaimed writer Benjamin Nugent embarks on a fact-finding mission of the most entertaining variety. He seeks the best definition of nerd and illuminates the common ground between nerd subcultures that might seem unrelated: high-school debate team kids and ham radio enthusiasts, medieval reenactors and pro-circuit Halo players. Why do the same people who like to work with computers also enjoy playing Dungeons & Dragons? How are those activities similar? This clever, enlightening book will appeal to the nerd (and antinerd) that lives inside all of us.
