The students were squirming but none made a sound, as the spelling bee entered its championship round. It’s right before recess, and the annual school spelling bee is down to just three spellers: Cornelius the Genius, Smart Ruby, and The Slugger, who never strikes out. Round after round, the words whizz at them, but with one minute left until recess, there’s still no winner. Who will triumph? It all comes down to one final word, and a curveball that no one sees coming! Deborah Lee Rose’s clever rhyming text packs a laugh-out-loud wallop with words that young readers will enjoy spelling and reading aloud again and again. Fun and whimsical illustrations by Carey F. Armstrong-Ellis provide the perfect balance of humor and suspense as readers find out whether The Slugger will hit a grand slam or finally strike out. The book includes three spelling lists that can be used for spelling bees at home, in school, at the library, or for community events. An author’s note describes why and how words were chosen.

What Kind of Book is The Spelling Bee Before Recess

Reviews

Mom of Boys

5.00

Marmee

5.25

To the meter of 'Twas the Night Before Christmas, this zingy book about a spelling bee is an enjoyable read aloud with a great lesson... sometimes the main character of your story DOESN'T WIN, because they haven't worked hardest, don't deserve it, or just have bad luck... and that's ok. You can learn a little something from your loss, move on, and maybe even give it another shot in the future! The illustrations for this book were a little so-so for me, but the story is so excellent that it makes up for it.

B is for Bookworm

6.25

I love this book. The rhyme and vocabulary use are fantastic, and the lessons in this book are wonderful without being overly obvious or literal. I think it's great that the main character *SPOILER* didn't win the spelling bee, and that was ok. This book shows that winning isn't everything, and that reading is one of the best things we can do. Plus, there's a list of spelling words used throughout the book in the very back so that you can try spelling them yourself!

Book Lists That Include This Book

Books about diversity

Books about school

Books about losing

The Creatives Behind the Book

Author

Deborah Lee Rose

Deborah Lee Rose is an internationally published author whose award-winning books are among the New York Public Library’s 100 Books to Read and Share. She lives in the San Francisco Bay area.

Illustrator

Carey F. Armstrong-Ellis

Carey F. Armstrong-Ellis is the author and illustrator of Ten Creepy Monsters and the illustrator of the bestselling Twelve Days of Kindergarten series and The Spelling Bee Before Recess. She lives in Cape Neddick, Maine.