Lexie the Word Wrangler

By Rebecca Van Slyke, Jessie Hartland (Illustrator)

A cowgirl must catch a word rustler turning stars into rats and deserts into desserts.

3.6/5 Goodreads · 389 ratings

40 pages· 832 words· Est. 7 min read-aloud

$18.99Save 5%

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Bookroo's summary

Lexie, the best word wrangler west of the Mississippi, faces a puzzling challenge. Words are mysteriously changing—her bandana becomes a banana, and stars turn into rats. Determined to stop the chaos, Lexie embarks on a quest to catch the elusive word rustler. With her trusty horse, she navigates a world where deserts transform into desserts. Can Lexie restore order to her ranch and wrangle the words back into place? This whimsical adventure blends clever wordplay with a dash of cowboy spirit, inviting readers to join Lexie in her quest to solve the mystery.

From the publisher

This clever celebration of words and their meanings features a strong cowgirl who wrangles words alongside cattle.

Lexie is the best wrangler west of the Mississippi—word wrangler, that is. She watches over baby letters while they grow into words and ties shorter words together into longer ones; she herds words into sentences, hitches sentences together, and pens them all in to tell a story. But lately, something seems off at the ranch. First the d goes missing from her bandana, leaving her with a banana to tie around her neck, and soon afterward every S-T-A-R in the sky turns into R-A-T-S. There’s no doubt about it—there’s a word rustler causing this ruckus, and Lexie plans to track him down . . . even if it means riding her horse through the sticky icing of a desert that’s suddenly become a giant dessert.

This fantastic spin on “cowboy” stories populates Lexie’s ranch with lively letters and words, alongside the typical cattle and horses, and stars a smart, confident, charismatic heroine. Rebecca Van Slyke’s creative, silly wordplay pairs perfectly with Jessie Hartland’s lively illustrations, and there’s even a glossary of helpful terms for up-and-coming word wranglers.

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