Scholastic First Dictionary

How would you define "bump" for a 6-year-old? The Scholastic First Dictionary outlines it as follows: "1. A bump is a round place that is above the area around it. William got a bump on his head when he hit it on a low branch of a tree. When something has many bumps on it, we say it is bumpy. The country road was bumpy. 2. When you bump into something, your body hits something you didn't mean it to hit." Not bad, eh? The chief advantage of this straightforward, inviting dictionary is that it is accessible to young readers--the definitions are written in complete sentences with age-appropriate language, and each word is used in a simple sentence.

Containing more than 1,500 words highlighted by bold, kelly-green type, the Scholastic First Dictionary is targeted to the reading level--and interests--of elementary school students, and not designed to be comprehensive. For example, "knitting" is not in this dictionary, but "kneel," "knife," and "knight" are. "Iguana" is not there, but "igloo" is. Each page of this 224-page volume contains an average of eight words, and includes at least two full-color photos to help illustrate word meanings. The real value of this resource for children is in helping them build basic dictionary skills and as a general guide for early readers, teaching them how to spell words, how to pronounce them, what words mean, how to use them in a sentence, how words change form, and, of course, discovering new words. The crisp, colorful layout encourages hours of contented browsing for the voracious young knowledge seeker. A great gift for any budding reader! (Ages 5 to 9) --Karin Snelson