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!

When Adam started kindergarten, the teacher wanted him to learn about letters. But "p" looked like "q," and "b" looked like "d." In first grade, he had to put the letters into words so he could read. That was the beginning of the Alphabet War. - (Albert Whitman & Co)

Learning to read is a great struggle for Adam, but with expert help, hard work, and belief in himself, he wins "The Alphabet War." Includes information about dyslexia. - (Baker & Taylor)

Learning to read is a great struggle for Adam, but with expert help, hard work, and belief in himself, he wins "The Alphabet War," in a story which includes information about dyslexia. - (Baker & Taylor)

Learning to read is a great struggle for Adam, but with expert help, hard work, and a belief in himself, he wins "The Alphabet War," in a story that includes information about dyslexia. - (Baker & Taylor)

When Adam started kindergarten, the teacher wanted him to learn about letters. But "p" looked like "q," and "b" looked like "d." In first grade, he had to put the letters into words so he could read. That was the beginning of the Alphabet War. - (Independent Publishing Group)

Booklist Reviews

K-Gr. 2. "When Adam was little, he loved to sink into his mother's warm lap and listen to her read." Once Adam enters school, his love of books becomes a daily battle that he truly believes he cannot win. It isn't until third grade that Adam, now suffering from low self-esteem and engaging in aggressive behaviors, is tested for a learning disability and receives the specialized help he needs. Adam's progression from an even-tempered and confident child to a withdrawn, frustrated, and often-troubled one is realistically portrayed in Robb's lengthy text and in Piazza's striking pastel illustrations. Equally realistic is the depiction of the long, slow process that leads to the child's eventual success as a reader. Adam's experience will inspire and encourage many youngsters who find themselves in similar predicaments. Equally important, the book sounds an alarm for educators and parents. ((Reviewed June 1 & 15, 2004)) Copyright 2004 Booklist Reviews.

Horn Book Guide Reviews

Though overlong—spanning preschool through fourth grade—this book focuses on Adam's struggle with dyslexia, implying that there is no magic bullet to fix the problem. After feeling that it was "hopeless," Adam has to learn how to read "all over again," with new ways of decoding the sounds and patterns of the letters. Pastel illustrations convey Adam's frustration, anger, and, finally, pride. Copyright 2004 Horn Book Guide Reviews.

School Library Journal Reviews

K-Gr 4-Adam starts school, and although he loves stories, he can't seem to get the words to make sense. Over the next few years, he slowly despairs of ever learning to read. Instead, he imagines that he is being held captive by an evil king who torments him with vowels. His parents hire tutors to help, but it isn't until a specialist comes in at the beginning of third grade and diagnoses him as dyslexic that things start to look up. For Adam, it has become a much bigger problem than just learning how to read-he must also find the self-confidence that years of failure have robbed from him. His new teacher helps him see that reading will always be hard for him, but that it is possible. The pastel illustrations adequately convey Adam's emotions. Although the text often tells rather than shows the boy's plight, the subject matter is handled with respect for his feelings at every stage of the process, and does not oversimplify or sugarcoat the difficulties of dyslexia.-Kathleen Kelly MacMillan, Maryland School for the Deaf, Columbia Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.