Alphamaniacs

Are you a word person? A curiosity seeker? A story explorer? Meet these twenty-six phenomenal individuals for whom love of language is an extreme sport.

Discover the real-life stories of writers so intoxicated by the shapes and sounds of language that they collected, dissected and constructed verbal wonders of the most extraordinary kind. Jean-Dominique Bauby wrote his memoirs by blinking his left eyelid, unable to move the rest of his body. Jessie Little Doe Baird revived the language of her native Wampanoag people, when she began having dreams featuring words she didn't understand. Georges Perec wrote a novel without using the letter e – so well that at least one reviewer didn’t notice its absence! A love letter to all those who are passionate about words, language, writers and stories, Alphamaniacs is a stunningly illustrated collection of mini-biographies about the most remarkable of writers and their courageous ways with words.

“The ebullient charms both of Fleischman's breezy accounts and of the work of those profiled are considerable...for anyone who enjoys words, or books themselves, there's much to love here in the catalog of serious and silly ways in which language and letters have been deployed, reworked, analyzed, and improved on. The backmatter includes source notes and a list of resources for "Further Entertainment." Marvelously diverting. --Kirkus Reviews (starred review) Thoughtful design elements extend into the back matter, where stylish alphabet blocks set off sources and bibliographic notes. Roaming today's school hallways are tomorrow's philologists, and the Alphamaniacs may be just the Dream Team to inspire them. --Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books (starred review) Each individual is given a brief chapter recounting their word-related exploits, interleaved with colorful, collaged illustrations by Sweet that look like stray pages from an artist's overstuffed sketchbook, incorporating relevant quotes and amplifying Fleischman's themes of abundance and possibility. A unique amalgam, one that will charm many. --Publishers Weekly The stories...are told in a playful, conversational style, supplemented by Sweet's gorgeous mixed- media illustrations that, along with an attractive layout and high-quality paper, result in a beautiful object of a book...an alluring gift for dedicated word nerds. --Booklist It's a quirky little gift to word lovers...The book is colorful and lavish with drawings, paintings, and prints. The wit and joy that went into the creation of this title is evident. --School Library Connection In an age driven by images, this book is an anomaly. Its audience is language lovers. Even though Fleischman's gushing writing style gets in the way of his own love for the subject, the book has unusual appeal and is beautifully produced. --School Library Journal”

Alphamaniacs is informative, zany, and zinging with facts. Sections that will entertain librarians in particular are the etymology of 'anathema', or they might like to play a game of 'Anguish Languish' with their students. This cornucopia of alphabetic delights includes source notes and a bibliography to provide further entertainment. It is a fun choice for the school library. The School Librarian

A prolific author of picture books, novels, choral poetry, non-fiction, screenplays, an opera, adult fiction, and one play (so far!).

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