Stacey’s Extraordinary Words
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- $11.99
Publisher Description
#1 New York Times bestseller and NAACP Image Award winner! The debut picture book from bestselling author Stacey Abrams is an inspiring tale of determination, based on her own childhood.
Stacey is a little girl who loves words more than anything. She loves reading them, sounding them out, and finding comfort in them when things are hard.
But when her teacher chooses her to compete in the local spelling bee, she isn’t as excited as she thought she’d be. What if she messes up? Or worse, if she can’t bring herself to speak up, like sometimes happens when facing bullies at school?
Stacey will learn that win or lose . . . her words are powerful, and sometimes perseverance is the most important word of all.
Plus don't miss the follow-up from the same team, Stacey's Remarkable Books!
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
With warmth and candor, Georgia gubernatorial candidate and voting rights activist Abrams tells a fictionalized story of her first spelling bee, emphasizing the value of education, of focusing on effort over result, and of standing up to bullying. Narrating in the third person, Abrams describes schoolgirl Stacey's fascination with words ("Persnickety tickled her tongue"), including terms that comfort her when she is teased or lonely, and those that help her "explain what she was feeling." (Throughout, Abrams revels in multisyllabic words: "The days of the week were monotonous, torturous, and sluggish.") Alluring digital spreads by debut artist Thomas give Stacey, who is Black, curly pigtails and sparkly eyes filled with interest and curiosity. When an alert teacher notices Stacey's prowess and invites her to participate in a local spelling bee, the competition is intimidating, and so is her rival—Jake, a white bully who uses his knowledge to make other kids feel small. A dramatic spelling bee sequence distributes triumph and defeat in unexpected ways, and Thomas's spreads give the proceedings cinematic suspense. In competition, Abrams reminds readers, victory can take years to arrive—and integrity and courtesy are always more important. Ages 4–8.
