These forty bite-size word puzzles, spelling quizzes, and vocabulary-filled stories, developed in partnership with the Scripps National Spelling Bee, are perfect for sharing at snack time or around the dinner table.

Readers are invited to play with language, investigating sneaky silent letters and the many ways that a word's meaning can be altered by context or spelling. Synonyms, homonyms, and palindromes prevail. Did Mom want two each of several different fruits, or just a few pears?

Drawing on the ubiquity of classroom spelling bees, these super-short, storified lessons (that don't feel like lessons at all) are accompanied by informational sidebars rich with tips, tricks, trivia, and interactive exercises to break down spelling basics in a fun and accessible way.

Kris Hirschmann has been a busy children's book author for more than twenty years. She spells many, many words every day--most of them correctly. She lives in Florida with her husband, two children, and way too many pets.

James K. Hindle illustrated The Mothman's Curse by Christine Hayes, and has also done illustrations for The New York Times, The Boston Globe, NYU Press and others. He lives in western Massachusetts with his wife and three sons.