A Word about Words
Every Wednesday, for nearly eleven years, I've posted a "Whimsical Word of the Week." In the beginning, I thought it might be fun for followers of my blog - as well as young readers - to expand their vocabularies.
Little did I know that mine would be expanded as well!
I've long felt that many authors of middle grade novels (thankfully, not all) limit their choice of words to meet some perceived reading level of those between the ages of eight and twelve. What I have always known is that young readers love to be challenged. The last thing they want is to be spoken "down to" in any way. Children love to learn, and that means they will look up a definition of a word that is unfamiliar to them if necessary. That being said, the writer must strive to use an appropriate word for the rhythm and context of her story. To simply place a complex word in a sentence when the entire text is more basic, is just as bad (in my view) as a poet who forces a line to rhyme.
So, the next time you pick up an ancient tome and discover its arcane tale leaves you discombobulated, hide away in an abditory and check out Writ of Whimsy on Wednesdays. You may just come down with a serious case of logolepsy! (At least you'll expand your vocabulary!)
