The Right Word: Roget and His Thesaurus

By Jen Bryant

Book Overview

***FIVE STARRED REVIEWS***

Caldecott Honor Winner
Sibert Medal Winner
School Library Journal Best Books of the Year
Kirkus Best of 2014
Publishers Weekly Best Books
Horn Book Fanfare
Huffington Post Best Picture Books of the Year: Best Biography (Non-Artist)
New York Times Notable Children's Books
Booklist Editors' Choice: Books for Youth

Award-winning author Jen Bryant and Caldecott Honor-winning illustrator Melissa Sweet tell the captivating story of the Thesaurus and its inventor Peter Mark Roget.

Words, Peter learned, were powerful things. And when he put them in long, neat rows, he felt as if the world itself clicked into order.

For shy young Peter Mark Roget, books were the best companions -- and it wasn't long before Peter began writing his own book. But he didn't write stories; he wrote lists.

Peter took his love for words and used it to organize his ideas and find exactly the right word to express just what he thought. His lists grew and grew, eventually turning into one of the most important reference books of all time.

The Right Word is an inviting, visually engrossing portrayal of Peter Mark Roget and the creation of the thesaurus. Jen Bryant's lyrical text and brilliantly detailed mixed media illustrations from Caldecott Honor-winning artist Melissa Sweet celebrate the joy of learning and the power of words.

Other honors

Parents' Choice Foundation Parents' Choice Award Gold Winner
ALA Notable Children's Books
Junior Library Guild Selection
Kirkus Prize for Young Readers' Literature Finalist
Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People
Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators Golden Kite Award
National Council of Teachers of English Orbis Pictus Honor
Bank Street College Best Children's Books of the Year

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0802853854
• ISBN13: 9780802853851
• Release Date: September 2014
• Publisher: Eerdmans Books for Young Readers
• Length: 42 Pages
• Weight: 1.04 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 8.1" x 11.1"
• Age Range: 7 to 18 years
• Grade Range: Grade 2 to Postsecondary

Customer Reviews

Well Done Honest Biography that's Fun!

This is a very well done biography about Roget. Interesting to the children without overloading too many dates or facts they wouldn't understand. It made his life seem relatable and interesting. Makes an obscure historical figure become a real person. You begin to think about them as someone who was a child who grew up. You appreciate their work more. Who doesn't love a good thesaurus??! The illustrations were fun and helped pull in more facts. My kids have read this more than once because it's actually enjoyable to read. I'm now looking at more from this author. (Please do Noah Webster???)