Word Nerd

Product Information

Ambrose had moved many times in his short life, and therefore, struggled with fitting in. Then the universe sent him a sign in the form of a flyer for Scrabble club. It was there that Ambrose found his people and a place to belong.

The nerd word of the week is … Stay. — Devlin Barrett, Washington Post, 5 Nov. 2023 Behind all the finance sheets and code bases, the fall of FTX was in a way incredibly childish: a nerd posse running away with a bunch of other people’s money in the stupidest and simplest way possible. — Elizabeth Lopatto, The Verge, 31 Oct. 2023 See More Auch "Peanuts..." beginnt in einem Schul-Setting, das jedoch abrupt endet als Ambrosius - der unter einer starken Erdnussallergie leidet - eben genau so eine in sein Pausenbrot geschmuggelt bekommt von seinen blöden Mitschülern, die ihn für ein leichtes Mobbingopfer halten. Leider ist Ambrosius wirklich stark allergisch, überlebt den Vorfall aber und wird nun nur noch zu Hause unterrichtet. Heutzutage, nach Corona, für uns alle gar nicht mehr so ungewöhnlich. Das Buch ist allerdings schon von 2008, aber auch da war es in Nordamerika durchaus üblich. Ambrosius findet die soziale Abschottung aber gar nicht gut. Und findet sich schon bald heimlich neue Freunde. Susin Nielsen’s depiction of grief was pitch perfect. A sweet, funny, touching and incredibly important book’

Ambrose Bukowski is the titular nerd and it's in his delightful, disarming voice that Word Nerd unfolds ... a funny, wry tale' Globe and Mail In den letzten paar Jahren habe ich einige Jugendbücher von Susin Nielsen gelesen, und sie waren alle richtig gut. Die Autorin schafft es immer noch, tolle Jugendbücher zu schreiben. Auch wenn sie selbst schon fast 60 ist und bereits seit den 80ern in diesem Genre schreibt, als sie für die kanadische TV-Serie "Degrassi Junior High" Drehbücher schrieb. Diese Serie hab ich damals sehr gern geschaut (sie kam auf einem der dritten ARD-Programme), und auch dort bestand die Schülerschaft aus vielen verschiedenen speziellen Charaktern. Genau diese porträtiert Nielsen nun auch in ihren Büchern

This book made me feel so so happy. It's a very character-driven story, and the author really get's into each and every character, which makes you fall in love with every single one of them. I loved Ambrose's quirks, the way Cosmo treated him and the way the adults were portrayed. The story was told in a very wonderful way, and I loved to see the character- and relationship-development. There is also quite a lot of talk about food in this book, which was wonderful and made me very hungry.Hetgeen wat ik storend vond in dit boek was de seksuele ontwikkeling van Ambrose, naar mijn idee hoefde dit niet eens in het boek verwerkt te worden. Twelve-year-old Ambrose Bukowski … is the titular nerd and it’s in his delightful, disarming voice that “Word Nerd” unfolds … This (is a) funny, wry tale, a tale that involves a lot of Scrabble, the reformation of an ex-con druggie and the coming-into-himself of a boy. And there’s a bit of love, too, actually.” I loved We Are All Made of Molecules, it's a really special little book with a huge heart and one of the most enjoyable YA books I've read in some time' Melissa Cox, Waterstones Twelve-year-old Ambrose is a glass-half-full kind of guy. A self-described “friendless nerd,” he moves from place to place every couple of years with his overprotective mother, Irene. When some bullies at his new school almost kill him by slipping a peanut into his sandwich — even though they know he has a deathly allergy — Ambrose is philosophical. Irene, however, is not and decides that Ambrose will be home-schooled.

Readers who enjoy Word Nerd will also like A Seven Letter Word by Kim Slater, which also uses Scrabble as a hook for a moving story about struggling young people, while Stacey Matson writes satisfying, heart-warming stories about kids overcoming problems. ~ Andrea Reece His struggles at school and the bullying he endured were heartbreaking. Though I understood his mother’s choices, I did find her to be a bit over-the-top overprotective. As the story played out, I do think I understood her actions came from a place of fear, pain, and love, and were also a result of some of her own unresolved personal issues. Vancouver’s Susin Nielsen writes for the TV series “Robson Arms” and “Alice, I Think,” and you can tell. She’s good … You know it’s going to be good when he imagines the headline, “Friendless nerd killed by peanut.” It’s local and hilarious.” The Georgia StraightIrresistible characters, this is set to become one of the most popular books of the year’ Lovereading 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? About This Edition ISBN: Meet Ambrose – 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. When bullies at his latest school almost kill him by deliberately slipping a peanut into his sandwich, Ambrose is philosophical. Irene, however, is not, and decides that Ambrose will take correspondence classes from home. In creating Ambrose Bukowski, Susin Nielsen has done a fine job in bringing to life a first-class nerd whose very limitations make him a most extraordinary person …” Canadian Children’s Book News

Word Nerd is possibly the most heart-warming story I've read this year, and made me remember why I loved middle-grade books in the first place. I don't usually enjoy realistic YA, but I found this utterly charming. It was the voice, frankly. I know this kid. I've BEEN this kid. Socially awkward, lying to spare mom's feelings, thinking my too-small purple pants are awesome. Funny, and occasionally lightly mortifying.This book is pretty good. It is a cute story of an ex con and a twelve (and 3/4) year old becoming friends through Scrabble. Their friendships have some ups and downs, but in the end, it turns put okay. There's so much to love about this story, but what grabbed me most is the humour. Who do I write to to join the Susin Nielsen fan club?' -- Christopher Paul Curtis Het boek leest als een trein, het verhaal is origineel en leuk uitgewerkt. Een boek met het onderwerp scrabble op de voorgrond ben ik nog nooit tegengekomen en ook de hoofdstuktitels zijn erg passend. Overall: Another charming and heartwarming book from Nielsen. I adored the characters, their dynamic, and all the Scrabble. This story was about the importance of standing up for yourself, being a better person, finding your “people”, and allowing for second chances. It was wonderfully told and warmed my heart. A wry and wise novel about a most unlikely friendship between two Scrabble freaks – a nerdy kid with a peanut allergy and a tough but loveable ex-con – is one of the most delightful reading experiences of the year. Susin Nielsen writes with an understated, mordant wit that draws the reader into the quirky story right from the start.” Phyllis Simon, Vancouver Kidsbooks