The Alphabet War: A Story About Dyslexia

By Leslie McMurtry

Best Children's Books of the Year, Bank Street College

Why was reading so hard?

When Adam started kindergarten, the teacher wanted him to learn about letters. But "p" looked like "q," and "b" looked like "d." Adam would rather color or mold clay. In first grade, his teacher wanted him to put the letters into words so he could read. That was the beginning of the Alphabet War. "Was" looked like "saw," and "there" looked like "then." Almost everyone else in his class was learning to read, but Adam was fighting a war against letters.

In second grade, he had to learn to spell, which was also impossible. Now he was so frustrated he got into trouble and had to go to the principal's office. At last, in third grade, he got the right kind of help. Slowly he began to do better. During fourth grade, he learned that he could excel in other things. That gave him the confidence to take chances with reading. One day he found himself reading a book all by himself

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0807503029
• ISBN13: 9780807503027
• Release Date: January 2004
• Publisher: Albert Whitman & Company
• Length: 32 Pages
• Weight: 0.71 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.3" x 8.0" x 10.0"
• Age Range: 6 to 9 years
• Grade Range: Grades 1 to 4

Customer Reviews

A Kid Like Me

I bought this for my 8 year old son who is an incredibly bright yet struggling student. He keeps asking to meet a boy like him. This is the closest I can come so far. This book brought tears to his eye, because he was so excited that Adam was just like him. His eyes sparkled with excitement as he exclaimed, "That's just like me!" The illustrations and metaphors are beautiful and inspiring. We are buying a copy to give to our...

The Alphabet War

Hi...I am the illustrator of The Alphabet War!...I worked over a year creating the pastel illustrations of Adam and his struggles and triumphs over reading!....I used a family friend and his cousin for models for Adam!....I worked in pastel on Strathmore Bristol Vellum 500 series....Some people are very surprised to hear that the illustrator often never speaks to the author during the creative process of illustrating a book!..Please...

Learning disability from a kid's perspective

This book, about a child overcoming his difficulty in letter recognition and reading, is about more than dyslexia.The story is also about believing in yourself and succeeding. Lends understanding of dyslexia to not only children but to people of all ages. Beautifully illustrated and skillfully written, I'd suggest this book for anyone concerned with learning disability/education/teaching/youth etc. This is a one of a kind...

Give a child hope by giving them this book!

This exciting new book, a story about Adam, a young dyslexic boy learning to read, is an expert portrayal of what many children face when they begin the battle between desire and disability. Adam represents the creative, talented and imaginative spirit in all of us and Robb expertly describes Adam's frustration and near defeat as he learns to overcome his shortcomings with the help of his mother and tutor. Its impossible...