The Alphabet War

A Story about Dyslexia

Plot Summary

When Adam started kindergarten, the teacher wanted him to learn about letters. But "p" looked like "q," and "b" looked like "d." Adam would rather color or mold clay. In first grade, his teacher wanted him to put the letters into words so he could read. That was the beginning of the Alphabet War. "Was" looked like "saw," and "there" looked like "then." Almost everyone else in his class was learning to read, but Adam was fighting a war against letters.

In second grade, he had to learn to spell, which was also impossible. Now he was so frustrated he got into trouble and had to go to the principal's office. At last, in third grade, he got the right kind of help. Slowly he began to do better. During fourth grade, he learned that he could excel in other things. That gave him the confidence to take chances with reading. One day he found himself reading a book all by himself!

Reviews

"...the subject matter is handled with respect for his feelings at every stage of the process, and does not oversimplify or sugarcoat the difficulties of dyslexia." School Library Journal

"Adam's progression from an even-tempered and confident child to a withdrawn, frustrated, and often-troubled one is realistically portrayed in Robb's lengthy text and in Piazza's striking pastel illustrations. Equally realistic is the depiction of the long, slow process that leads to Adam's eventual success as a reader. Adam's experience will inspire and encourage many younsters who find themselves in similar predicaments. Equally important, the book sounds an alarm for educators and parents." Booklist

Associated Keywords
reading, read, writing, write, dyslexia, learning disability, learning disabilities, disability, disabilities, learn, learning