India is a girl after my own heart. She loves words and spelling and dreams of a winning a spelling bee. But she also has horrid stagefright. But she finally decides to take a chance and enters the spelling bee that she and her family regularly watch.

India has amazing support from her family, the Whimples, and all of Yungabilla. And she is fiercely devoted to them, willing to sacrifice her dreams for her brother Boo's health and her family's financial status. It shows how she has a big heart and how doing good for others can lead to others doing good for you.

The book also gives a peek into how parents can be completely overbearing in the name of winning and how much pain they cause when spoiling and ignoring their kids. India is one who is able to step up and be a friend to these kids, in spite of their treatment. It's a great lesson for kids on kindness. And parents should take note of the horrible behavior of these other parents and what they do their kids' self esteem.

Each chapter is headed by a vocabulary word with definition and sentence example. It's a great not-so-subtle unconscious way to impart some new vocabulary on readers. I got a kick out of that part.

Overall, a fun read for elementary kids that they could enjoy on their own or that could lead to some good classroom discussions.

Thank you to NetGalley for my review copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

*** I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review ***

This book is a PSA wrapped up in a wordy bow with glitter on top. It showcases a little girl named India Wimple who is anxious and afraid to make her dream happen. She has a very strong support network of family and friends. This cheering section boosts her confidence so that she not only believes in herself more but she learns to overcome her anxiety of doing something she's awesome at, spelling, in front of an crowd. Once she wrangles her fears she signs up for the spelling bee and the rest is history.

This book is not afraid to tackle difficult topics like dealing with both chronic/life threatening illness and financial strife. LOVE that!! (Not the financial strife bit but bringing into the light topics that some would rather brush under the rug).

I won't give away too much, especially since the unconditional love and support are what truly makes this book shine, but I will say that the overall take home messages are sweet and poignant and something I will definitely pass along to my little girl when we read this one together. Not only will she broaden her vocabulary with new snazzy words, she will also be exposed to the beautiful messages that show her the power of supportive kindness and that anything is possible if you believe in yourself!

Great read with great illustrations!!

Love the voice and premise of this one! Spelling Bees are so stressful for the students...this would be a great read during that time of the school year.

Cute title. Very predictable, but probably not as much for students. It has a certain humor about it that raises it above others. Nanna Flo is a hilarious character, and India's dad had an interesting wardrobe. Although I've never been a blonde, I did think it a bit stereotypical to label Summer as a jerk. I appreciated the closeness of the family, a great example of genuine love. And, it's true that some students could relate to their continuing problems with their car.

I received this ARC through NetGalley and was prompted to read it after enjoying the US Spelling Bee.

The Stupendously Spectacular Spelling Bee by Deborah Abela is a sweet and spectacular story.  The book is about a girl name India Wimple who is really good at spelling. Every Friday night, she watches the Stupendously Spectacular Spelling Bee on TV and spells every word correctly. Her family encourages her to sign up to compete on the next show. India will have to overcome stage fright, anxiety, shyness and family struggles, but quickly finds that it’s all possible when you’re surrounded by the very best support.

The book is full of wonderful characters who are quirky, yet entertaining. The members of the Wimple family are lovable. They are encouraging, supportive, empathetic and funny. They struggle with finances and have a child who battles asthma. The book realistically depicts how a chronic illness effects an entire family. I loved the overall theme of support.  

Each new chapter begins with a word, it’s definition and how it could be used in a sentence to promote increased vocabulary. The book is then full of rich vocabulary that will definitely expand a young readers word bank. It includes some really wonderful illustrations. I highly recommend this book. It would be a wonderful addition to any library and a great gift for a classroom or child who participates in the spelling bee.

I received an ARC of this book from SOURCEBOOKS Jabberwocky via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

So much fun to read with my 9 and 11 year old daughters! Thank you for the opportunity to add this to our homeschool reading material! Highly recommend to all fans of middle grade stories - adults and children alike. We will definitely be looking for more by this author!

During my lifetime, I have been a spelling bee contestant, judge, and moderator. Watching a spelling bee live or even on TV gives me a thrill akin to that felt by viewers of the Olympics. I have seen all sorts of contestants take the stage and do their best, as we know, most of them do not become the champ.

India Wimple's journey in the world of spelling bees will warm your heart as you see her overcome personal obstacles with the help of her family and their community. In the end you will have a smile in your mouth and maybe even a tear in your eye.

The events of this book will put one in mind of any number of stories of talent competitions and school plays. We have messages about stage fright, confidence, the importance of parental support, and pressure. THere's also a bit about classism and prejudging people.

Review published on NightsAndWeekends.com and aired on Shelf Discovery (see link below)

Champions don’t all come in athletic form as Deborah Abela confirms in her book The Stupendously Spectacular Spelling Bee. The nerd competition can be fierce. If you watch the US spelling bee every year, you will find some difference in this one that takes place in Australia, but it’s all good.

India Wimple’s problems, including her fear of performing before a crowd rather than spelling the words in front of the Stupendously Spectacular Spelling Bee shown on TV every Friday night at their home in Yungabilla, kicks in from time to time. It is kind of like knowing the Jeopardy questions for the answers from the comfort of the couch. Then there’s a little brother with asthma problems showing up at inopportune times as she advances upward through the contest. Still the whole family, including an unconventional grandma, joins the endeavor as fans and encouragers. Of course, the other participants have their own problems and cause a few for India.

Cleverly set up so that each chapter begins with a spelling word that foreshadows that part of the story puts in an extra bit of fun for the reader to anticipate and predict the next segment of the story. For instance, the first chapter is, “Tremulous (adjective): Nervous, timid, a little frightened.” This is an enjoyable middle grade read with enough similarity to an American spelling bee to be familiar and enough Australian difference to add interest.

I would like to thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for my advanced copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

This book is, plainly speaking, a hoot. The Wimple family is made up of lovable characters. They adore each other and are thick as thieves. India enters the national spelling bee at the urging of her brother. The story is predictable. India does well at the bee, adventures are to be had, obstacles are to be overcome, and the family loves each other more than before. That is not what makes the book special.

What makes it special is the author's knack to introduce big words, difficult words, unusual words, and complicated words into her story all under the guise of the spelling bee but really to make learning new words fun. And herein lies that value of this book!

I think this book is a great example why reading matters! We need more of those! I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to broaden their horizon and learn many more interesting words. This book is well suited for kids up to early middle grade. I'd say older than that and the story itself won't be compelling enough anymore. I also think this book is fun for any parent to read to their child. I learned new words! I will definitely add this book to my niece's bookshelf.

The Stupendously Spectacular Spelling Bee is easily one of my favorite reads of the year so far. It follows the adventures of India Wimple--a girl who is very good at spelling. Her family encourages her to enter the next spelling bee, but she's anxious about standing up in front of a crowd to spell. However, her community helps her overcome her fear, and she ends up signing up.

This book is heartwarming and thoroughly enjoyable. I loved how much it focused on family and community support without shying away from difficult topics like chronic illness and financial stress. India's little brother has debilitating asthma, and they are in constant worry of him having a serious asthma attack. On top of that, India's family has come upon rough times and doesn't have very much money to spare. However, while they go through tough times with these issues, they rely on each other for support and find happiness in supporting each other and loving one another. India's family has her back for whatever she needs, and are constantly cheering her on. It also shows a wonderful sibling relationship, where India is always worried about her little brother having a bad asthma attack, and he's always encouraging her to be braver and have more confidence in herself. This is the sort of book that should be in classrooms and that children should be encouraged to read.

I also enjoyed the illustrations, since they help set a fun, positive atmosphere, even when the story is dealing with serious topics.

Aside from having wonderful words for children to learn for vocabulary and spelling, it has a positive message about achieving your dreams, being kind to others, and supporting the ones you care for. It's absolutely lovely, and I can't wait to buy it as gifts for the children in my life.

I  recieved a free digital copy of this book from Netgalley for an honest review.

This is a cute story about overcoming your fears and having a great support system.

Thank you to NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Jabberwocky for providing me with an e-ARC of the hardcover edition to read and review.

Truly "The Stupendously Spectacular Spelling Bee" by Deborah Abela is a stupendously sweet and spectacular story.

The story starts from a humble, routine family gathering in front of the television and immediately transforms into an opportunity of a lifetime. And like anyone when faced with such a huge opportunity, India struggles with whether or not to take it. Sometimes it's scary to take that first step when opportunity comes knocking because we don't believe in ourselves worthy or capable enough to succeed. This makes India a very relatable character for readers of all ages.

I love how she has the complete love and support of her family and the whole town where she lives. As thankful as she is for their support, it's not convincing enough to settle India's jumbling nerves. Which is good because it then leaves room for India to grow as a person/character and conquer whatever fears she's plagued by.

Readers will learn many new words from this story as each chapter begins with a hard (and telling) word, its parts of speech, definition, and how it would be used in a sentence. A nice structured text for middle graders to follow and learn from.

The illustrations were great too and well spaced out throughout the book.

If you like Middle Grade novels or know someone of that age, I'd recommend this book as your next big read. It's light, charming, wholesome, and educational.