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Reviewed by: Alicia DiFranco, Middle School Librarian Title: Worser Author: Jennifer Ziegler
Publisher: Margaret Ferguson Books
Year: 2022 Good for Grades: 6-8 Genre/Type of Book: Realistic Fiction
Content Warnings, or things that other School Librarians should be aware of: None Recommended for a school library: Yes Reason(s) for choosing the book: Worser was highly recommended by a friend.
If you were tasked by the publisher with writing a short quote for the back cover of this book, what would it be:
This is the book word nerds have been waiting for! Worser couldn't be better. |
Review:
William Orser, known as Worser by his classmates, has always had a fascination with words. So much so that for years, he has been compiling them in his very own lexicon he calls his Masterwork. His mother, a professor of rhetoric at a local University, has recently suffered a stroke leaving her unable to speak, and his overbearing and over-emotional Aunt Iris is now living with them as she recovers. When the school library is closed due to budget cuts, Worser loses his refuge and Donya (his long-term crush) loses a place to run the school Literary Club. Worser has found a solution that brings him closer to Donya, new friends, and a happiness he has never known. When it all starts to fall apart, he realizes that although he knows the most obscure words in the English Language, he still needs figure out what to say to the people he loves.
I couldn’t help but cheer for Worser, especially when he is not at his best. Jennifer Ziegler has taken what should be an extremely unlikable character and has made him a relatable and lovable hero. Worser is an excellent choice for readers who lose themselves in the world of words. If you love words and wordplay… this book is for you. If you have a small but mighty group of nerd friends… this book is for you. If you have a t-shirt that says I am silently correcting your grammar…this book is for you.
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