The Stupendously Spectacular Spelling Bee (The Spectacular Spelling Bee Series #1)

by Deborah Abela

Overview

A heartwarming story about a girl who's afraid to follow her dreams, and the family who help make them happen. The perfect book for middle school girls, The Stupendously Spectacular Spelling Bee, is a wonderful way to inspire children to believe "I can do hard things", too!

India Wimple can spell. Brilliantly. Every Friday night, she and her family watch the Stupendously Spectacular Spelling Bee on TV. When the Wimples suggest she enter the next Bee, India feels nothing but trepidation. She's sure she's not good enough—but with the support of her family, India finds the courage to sign up.

There are plenty of obstacles to reaching the finals, like Summer Millicent Ernestine Beauregard-Champion, a spoiled rich girl who isn't afraid to step on anyone who gets in her way of winning. India also needs to overcome stage fright, shyness, and anxiety. Full of lovable characters, new vocabulary words, and more, this is the perfect spelling bee book for girls 8-12.

The whole thing seems rather calamitous to India. But with hope, hard work, and a little bit of heart, something splendiferous might be on the horizon…

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781492668220
Publisher:	Sourcebooks
Publication date:	02/05/2019
Series:	Spectacular Spelling Bee Series , #1
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	240
Sales rank:	432,031
Product dimensions:	5.20(w) x 7.40(h) x 0.80(d)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Deborah Abela is an award-winning author. She is an ambassador for Room to Read and a Role Model for Books in Homes. Deborah studied communications and worked both as a teacher and the writer/producer of a national kids’ television show in Australia. She lives in Sydney, Australia. Learn more at deborahabela.com.

Editorial Reviews

"The colorful cover and cartoonlike illustrations in this Australian import will draw in readers, while the gently humorous and rollicking plot will keep them turning pages. India’s family is warm and slightly zany... Humorous and poignant, this title will inspire readers with its kind, courageous heroine and may teach some new words along the way." — School Library Journal

"This is a feel-good story that would make an excellent read aloud." — School Library Connection

"Abela adds a lot of tricky new vocabulary words for readers to pick up in a way that makes subtle spelling lessons fun and not tedious... India is a darling of a character that many readers will relate to and cheer for in this breezy read." — Booklist

"Both droll and heartwarming, the tale is rather more reminiscent of Little Miss Sunshine than Spellbound in its evocation of the quirky, lovingly supportive Wimples. This story about facing and overcoming one's fears is a winner. " — Kirkus Reviews

"Abela...gives her characters, who are depicted in simple black-and-white line drawings, a realistic and comforting depth. Anyone who has ever experienced anxiety due to their own ambition will understand exactly how India feels, right up to the "splendiferous (excellent)" conclusion... In this charming Australian import, a shy young girl overcomes nerves, mean-spirited co-contestants and tricky vocabulary words in her aspiration to win a major spelling bee." — Shelf Awareness

"Whether readers are interested in family humor, friendship, competition, or just plain fun, this will have something to offer." — Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

"Humorous and poignant, this title will inspire readers with its kind, courageous heroine and may teach some new words along the way." — School Library Journal

From the Publisher

04/01/2018
Gr 3–6—India Wimple is painfully shy. She resides in a small Australian town with her supportive nuclear family. Her little brother is gravely ill, money is tight, and her world is small, but India has a secret weapon: she can spell. When the opportunity arises to audition for Australia's popular game show, The Stupendously Spectacular Spelling Bee, India wants to go for it—only she gets stage fright. India's family and community band together to support their rising star and, despite jitters and financial hardship, she overcomes the odds and finds herself in Sydney with other contestants, both friendly and otherwise. The colorful cover and cartoonlike illustrations in this Australian import will draw in readers, while the gently humorous and rollicking plot will keep them turning pages. India's family is warm and slightly zany. In one particularly memorable scene, various townsfolk don animal onesies to make India more comfortable during a practice session. India stays grounded and hits her stride as the competition rolls along, bringing her to a fairy-tale conclusion that will satisfy readers who appreciate a tidy ending. Chapter titles contain a boxed spelling word with its meaning that describes the contents of the chapter ahead. This results in some sneaky learning and vocabulary growth, making this a great choice for school settings. VERDICT Humorous and poignant, this title will inspire readers with its kind, courageous heroine and may teach some new words along the way.—Kate Nafz, Fair Lawn Public Library, NJ

School Library Journal

2018-02-03
India Wimple is a brilliant speller.Each Friday night, the Wimple family huddles around the TV to watch the Stupendously Spectacular Spelling Bee, and she spells the words correctly every time. Still, when her little brother, Boo, suggests she sign up for the competition, the extremely shy India has her doubts. After some convincing, India makes the "valorous decision" to go for it. With the support of her loving family and some townsfolk (dressed in animal onesies in the belief the silliness will give her confidence), India is soon on her way from rural Yungabilla to the live, televised final at the Sydney Opera House. Each chapter of this Australian import begins with a featured word, defined and used in a sentence, that sums up the chapter. The black-and-white artwork supports the assumption that India (named for the country where her white parents met) is white; however, the illustrations of a dark-haired India contradict the text, which describes her as a redhead. Most of the supporting characters are white, although India's spelling bee competitor and new friend is an actual Indian boy named Rajish. Both droll and heartwarming, the tale is rather more reminiscent of Little Miss Sunshine than Spellbound in its evocation of the quirky, lovingly supportive Wimples.This story about facing and overcoming one's fears is a winner. (Fiction. 7-11)

Kirkus Reviews