Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book.

First Thoughts
Love at first sight!

Not Absurd At All
This book is lit: from the introduction and a note for the adults to the very last page about the master of making up words (not Shakespeare, mind you, but Roald Dahl). It is a treasure chest full of word-gems, a fun-house for word-nerds, and one that will magically transform all its readers into logophiles (regardless of whether they were or not before they opened it).

I loved the clever chapter titles (like “G.O.A.T.” for words related to being, well G.O.A.T, and “Stretching the Truth” for words about fibbing and tricking!) And I absolutely adored the extras: those colorful sidebars that popped up all over. Some provide the roots for words, others give quirky facts, and still others show their impact on pop culture.

There is a plethora of splendiferous words within its pages; and it makes learning so much fun. Plus, the colors and illustrations are sure to attract even the youngest readers. While this book is intended for a middle-grade audience, I know it will work for all and any ages that can string letters together and/or love reading!

Last but not the least, Lazar provides ideas on how to come up with crashwords (a new word for portmanteau). So you can be a neologist!

In Summary
For verbomaniacs everywhere! And for those who are not as well (they will end up as verbomaniacs anyway)!

Thanks to the e-RC from NetGalley

Word lovers, listen up! This is a great title to find out some crazy funny silly words. I think it's a great addition to any library.

A great wee compendium of words. A nice balance of humour with words organised in a logical way. I’m looking forward to using this with my class!

Kids will laugh out loud at the words that they are learning. Kids in my library are eating this one up!

Brilliant! The perfect book for anyone, adult or child, who loves words and language. The presentation is bright and engaging and full of interesting words and definitions. This is one of those books that you could easily plan to have a quick flick through and then look up to find you've spent an hour discovering all sorts of new and wonderful words.

What an interesting book!
Absurd Words by Tara Lazar is a fun and approachable way for kids and adults alike to learn strange and complex vocabulary.

With a lovely design, lots of colors and engaging pictures, reading this book is very enjoyable.
The definitions, the simple yet clear phonetic pronunciation, as well as examples in context help to remember the word and use it again.

The only thing I didn't particularly like was the repetitive outline. I would have appreciated a little more spontaneousness.

An enjoyable and lovely book overall, for both kids and adults who want to expand their vocabularies! I fully recommend.

A free digital copy of this book was given to me from the publishers and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

This book BEGS to be read together! Students will love trying out new words and will laugh out loud learning.

Princess Fuzzypants here: I think this book is improperly titled. It is not Absurd Words. It should be wonderful, delightful, fun, articulate… you get my drift. In a time when the mostly commonly used adjective, adverb and verb is a word not used in polite company, this book is overdue. I lament at the paucity of colourful and evocative language. Where are the people like Winston Churchill of whom it was quipped when he became Prime Minister : the English Language has gone to war. Wordsmiths, alas, are in short supply. Anything that can be done to resurrect and expand the long lost art is to be commended.

Language is a living thing. It is never stagnant as words fall in and out of fashion. But it would be a shame if some perfectly wonderful words were lost from lack of use. The book is anything but a dry academic tome. It is written with tongue in cheek and will introduce the young writer to some expressive words. Perhaps it should be required reading for creative writing classes.

Absurd- no. Enlightening and educational- yes. Five purrs and two paws up.

As someone who is a word nerd, I find this fantastic, and I think I would have especially loved it as a kid. The words in this book are still useful, but may be words that a kid wouldn't hear in their day to day life. It is also visually appealing and easy to access. A great addition to any collection!

I love how this book goes right into explaining words and why it's great to always learn more. They make the thought of learning new words fun and exciting right from the start. They have so many different categories of words keeping it fun and interesting throughout. They include stories explaining the roots of some words, fun and quirky trivia, and pop culture information. I love how each word gives the breakdown on how to say it, the definition, and a sentence. One of my favorite categories was the crashwords section. As an adult I learned a bunch of words reading it and can't wait to give it to my kids. I know my son will love adding to his vocabulary and spreading his word knowledge. Absolutely recommend this book for kids and even adults. The illustration and colors really keep your attention.

Wow... this was so well made, I loved it! You can see it's a very high-quality book, and I believe kids (those who love to read, especially word nerds) are gonna find this amazing and so fun. I know I would. It has these illustrations, fun facts about certain words and their origins, even some short literary works, lists of these interesting words, it's categorized in these fun ways, there are even some song lyrics, there's even a pronunciation guide, definitions, and use of the word in a sentence. It's really complete and great looking, I'd buy a physical copy honestly...

300 pages of absurd words and their meanings? My little word-nerd will LOVE this book (and I have a feeling her fact-loving sister will enjoy reading it as well). We will definitely look into getting a paper version of this title, since the illustrations are adorable. It will make a great reference book for our homeschool library.

This book gives random words and definitions to students to help increase their vocabulary. Some of the words seem like students should already know them, but others are great.

Words are broken into different categories. This makes it easier to find words that relate to one topic.

Words, words, and more words fill every page with meanings, curiosities, and simply fun things to say.

While I thought this one would be more...well, I don't know what I thought, but it wasn't the twist on a traditional dictionary setting. But no worries because it's not completely traditional, either. The entire book is divided into chapters with a Table of Contents in the beginning to help locate each theme highlighted. These are titled in entertaining ways which also hint at the enclosed category of words. For example, 'itchy feet' leads into words surrounding travel. Each chapter begins with a short paragraph of explanation. The words follow with only a few on each page. Each one is accompanied by a pronunciation, word form, and the meaning(s). On the side, there are more facts, which have been divided into Roots, Pop Culture, and Level Up, which give extra information about a word's origins, cultural importance, and interesting facts surrounding the word, respectively.

This is one of those books, which can draw a reader in for hours as they search, find silly or interesting tidbits, and discover all sorts of things, they didn't know before. While everything is very information and fact based, it is entertaining. Not only are the words themselves amusing to say or use, but the history or usage behind some of them are packed with curiosities or silly facts. These make it easier to remember the word and to broaden knowledge in a way, which isn't easily forgotten. The information is clear and easy to understand, but then, it is written in a fun way, too.

Bright colors accompany every page, allowing the words with their definitions to playfully placed. So, although they have the same format as a dictionary, they are much more pleasantly placed with an atmosphere of fun.

It's a great way to get kids to use and discover new words. After all, there are more than a couple they can use with their friends...and even to impress an adult or two. It's playful and still packs even more information with fun historical and cultural tidbits. It's a great way to broaden younger readers' vocabularies...and even that of some adults.

I received an ARC through Netgalley and enjoy how fun this is.

A fantastic book aimed at kids to help them expand their vocabulary in an engaging manner. Words are grouped into categories to help tell a story and make them more memorable. Word roots and pop culture references are peppered with illustrations as colorful and myriad as the words defined in this text. Literary references entice young readers to potentially explore new genres and a helpful index makes looking up words super simple. Great gift for a future spelling bee champ or young bibliophile.

Absurd Words: A Kids' Fun and Hilarious Vocabulary Builder for Future Word Nerds by Tara Lazar is currently scheduled for release on January 2 2022. This is a dictionary-thesaurus hybrid, a user-friendly, engaging book about the power of words. Grouped into themes (“word squads”) and paired with pop culture, etymology, and history facts, readers explore not only what the words in the book mean, but where they came from, uses in pop culture, how to use them! To go even further, readers are encouraged to create their own words (“crashwords”), anagrams, and more.

Absurd Words is full of great information and vocabulary. I like that the book pointed out that the English language borrows heavily from other language, and that is always evolving. New words are made, some go out of fashion, and some shift meaning drastically. I was very glad to see the pronunciation included, as someone that knows the meaning of more words than they can correctly pronounce thanks to reading and some years of latin, it was good to double check my instincts on some of the words. I did learn a few words in the book, which is always nice. The extra bits of information, including pop culture references and information about the roots and history of certain words, were interesting and help keep readers engaged. I thought it was well organized and can stand up to a straight read through, browsing, and as a reference resource for readers looking for just the right word.

Purchasing for my classroom! What an excellent book for students who stop in for creative word knowledge!

I absolutely love this book and will definitely be purchasing a few copies for my classroom! There is some fantastic vocabulary included, grouped according to types of word in an easy to navigate way. The bright, colourful layout and illustrations make it friendly and appealing to children and the little extra facts add a bit of fun. I have some children in my class who would definitely be using this non-stop to improve their word choices in their writing.

Thank you so much to the publisher and NetGalley for the advanced electronic copy of this delightful book. This is a middle-grade reference book comprised of word lists that are broken down by topic. Each word is explained in a child-friendly, fun way. I can’t wait to use this amazing book with my upper elementary (grades 3-5) students to teach word choice and writing.