The Scripps National Spelling Bee has released the 27 titles that are on its 2020-21 Great Words, Great Works booklist.
The list of books is for students that span from first to eighth grade and will help students prep for their annual school spelling bee with a list of 450 words that are on the School Spelling Bee Study List each year.
"Parents and teachers are always looking (especially during the summer) for reading suggestions for kids," The Scripps National Spelling Bee said. "The Scripps National Spelling Bee recognizes the important connection between reading and spelling. Before our competitors were great spellers, they were great readers. With that in mind, the Bee team intentionally selected its school-level spelling study words from engaging, age-appropriate books. The Bee organized those titles into the Great Words, Great Works book list. This year, students can expand their vocabularies and their world views while hearing from a diverse cast of characters on topics such as climate change, homelessness, immigration, gender identity, and the power of dreaming. Messages of friendship, hope, and overcoming adversity connect all 27 books, creating bridges between different cultures and life experiences."
Here is a sampling of this year's Great Words, Great Works list:
- Sulwe by Lupita Nyong’o
- The Dog Who Lost His Bark by Eoin Colfer
- Ada Twist and the Perilous Pants by Andrea Beaty
- Whales on Stilts by M.T. Anderson
- A Monster Like Me by Wendy S. Swore
- No Fixed Address by Susin Nielsen
- Lily and Dunkin by Donna Gephart
- The Bone Houses by Emily Lloyd-Jones
- For a Muse of Fire by Heidi Heilig
- The Silmarillion by J.R.R. Tolkien
The complete list is available on the Bee’s website.
