Anyone between the ages of twelve to sixteen interested in words would be attracted to Word Nerd by Susin Neilsen. The story of Ambrose, a boy growing up most recently in Vancouver BC with an overprotective widowed/single mom, is one that both boys and girls can relate to on many levels.
Ambrose has moved a lot as his mother struggles to balance this two-person family. His mom has not secured a solid job, which has triggered moves from one university position in one area to another. Ambrose struggles to fit in but finds he always has the wrong clothes, shoes, and academic interests. As a result of the moves, Ambrose has made or sustained no true friends.
Instead, as the title depicts, words have become his friends. He and his mom engage in games of Scrabble often. Ambrose loves the study of words, their origins and playing with them. He hates physical sports which often makes him a loner and a target.
The true adventure begins when Ambrose discovers a flyer for a local Scrabble Club. He befriends an ex-con named Cosmo and talks Cosmos into driving him to the club’s practice sessions despite his mother’s orders to “stay clear of that young man.” They soon develop a quirky big brother/little brother type relationship wherein each discovers a friend in the other. Ambrose helps Cosmo stay on the straight and narrow by steering clear of old acquaintances all the while winning over a new girlfriend, and Cosmo teaches Ambrose some fighting blocks for self-defense while covertly assisting in driving Ambrose to the big regional Scrabble tournament for which he has qualified.
It is an early coming to know one’s self book that many in the tween age group struggling to identify their own self and win autonomy will enjoy. This is also a story about loving someone despite, and because of, their weaknesses and faults.
Nielsen, S. (2008). Word Nerd. Tundra Books: New York, NY. ISBN 978-0-88776-875-0
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