American Bee: The National Spelling Bee and the Culture of Word Nerds

by James Maguire

What the bestselling Word Freak did for Scrabble, this riveting narrative now does for the National Spelling Bee. Here is a captivating slice of Americana - part sporting event, part absorbing human drama, and part celebration of the magic of words.

Every spring in the nation's capital, after a starting pool of 10 million kids narrows to 250 finalists, America's top young spellers face off in a nail-biting contest. So electric is the drama that millions of viewers tune in to watch ESPN's live telecast

But this national obsession is much more than a sporting story - and this first-ever narrative nonfiction book about the National Spelling Bee immerses the reader in unique subculture, portraying the endearing fraternity of brilliant, eccentric young word nerds who vie for a gold trophy, a hefty check, and a glorious moment of national fame.

Author James Maguire, who like the contestants is an inveterate word nut, captures the agony and glory of this singularly American event. He profiles the top five spellers across the country, exploring their hopes and dreams - and strategies for winning - as they prepare for their moment in the spotlight. American Bee takes readers behind the scenes at the National Bee, providing a narrative thrill ride as the tension mounts round by round.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Language, Education, Words, Linguistics

384 pages, Hardcover

First published May 1, 2006

Reviews

[Dr. Andy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I feel like I can spell obscure English words better now, but I also have a headache.

I never had an interest in spelling bees, but after reading this I can admire the dedication, and intelligence the kids competing in them have. This book was interesting and I liked the parts about language evolution the most, but overall it was very dry. I feel like there was a lot of repetition between the individual parts and that kind of annoyed me. I liked seeing how the previous champions would continue to work for the Bee.

[Priya · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rijstafel, logorrhea, schefflera, psittacine, telencephalon... if these are words you haven't heard before, atleast in regular conversation, you are not alone. And yet, the amazing kids who participate and make it to the highest levels of the American spelling bee make short work of spelling these and many more obscure words belying their age which is in the range of 12-14 with a few exceptional, younger kids also making it!
I love reading about language and the etymology of words and am familiar with the Spelling bee as a concept having watched it on television and prepared my child for it in school. So this was a fascinating read for me because it traces the origin of the competition and explains how is is conducted along with profiling some of the winners and giving a glimpse of the final days of the competition itself.
From the 14 yo who unbelievably has read the entire dictionary consisting of 475,000 words to the precocious 10 yo who is super confident despite being so young, the Spelling bee has a wide range of participants. It is interesting to see that it attracts students from all walks of life and has proven to be especially aspirational for Indian-Americans who have won it loads of times. It is obvious that the kids have to be interested enough to put in so much effort throughout the year and in the case of some, year after year, to be able to win at school and regional levels and get a chance to go to the finals in Washington. These are kids who are multi talented and engaged in so many activities that it's amazing how they find time for it all. And their parents have to be appreciated for all the support they provide as well as the encouragement and in many cases, coaching.
The grand finale is described just like that of any sports competition and has its share of exciting moments as the kids, well versed not just in spelling but the origin and meaning and language of origin of the words do their best as their nervous parents look on and television cameras whir around them. It is gratifying to see an academic competition get so much prominence as it is becoming increasingly rare. Most of the kids who participate are voracious readers and that bodes well for the future.
The beginning and evolution of the Spelling bee to its present form, the making of the various dictionaries that are gospel now, how the words for the Bee are decided, what role luck and chance play in determining who will take home the trophy.. all this and more makes this a very interesting read.
And of course, last but not the least, checking how many of the words mentioned you think you would have known and maybe spelt correctly given the chance, is great fun too!

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Eh. Just a slog, imo. Too scattered? Not surprisingly, we didn't actually get to know the kids very well. The section on the history of the dictionary really wasn't important or relevant (but I have to confess, even though I've read about it several other times, I did learn a couple of new things this time). Several events, phrases, descriptions, and anecdotes were repeated. The history of the Bee itself was fairly interesting but I wish he'd found more to say about it.

I was alerted to a book, a bestseller over a century ago, that I want to read: The Hoosier Schoolmaster: A Story of Backwoods Life in Indiana.

And I was alerted the person Senator Miles Poindexter. As in "He's a real poindexter" which was said some decades ago almost as we say geek or nerd now. Is it the same person? I'll check.

Just barely three stars. It's possible you'd like the book more than I did, but I'm not recommending that you try.

[Samir Patel · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you find spelling bees interesting, this is a cool book for the behind-the-scenes. But since I was one of Maguire's subjects, I may be just a teeny bit biased... :)

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

To begin, I'll just say that I am not a super great speller, but I truly like words and their etymology. The origins of words are fascinating to me. I rate this book 3.5 stars overall. I liked certain sections better than others, and I think it is worth evaluating each section individually.

Part I - Introduction, overview of 2004 National Spelling Bee and results of the bee
Part I of this book was a mess. I really struggled with James Maguire's intent and purpose. I questioned my own purpose for deciding to read this book. It look me a week to get through the first 50 pages. Ugh.

After I read the entire book, I came up with a theory on why Part I did not work for me. I think that James Maguire didn't really have a sense of where he was going with the book in the beginning. In my mind, it appears that he attended the 2004 National Spelling Bee and saw a human interest story. But the words, the cameras and the pressure freaked him out or possibly distracted him, and he did not have purpose yet. He presented the Bee almost as a sports writer might cover a live event. But a sports writer doesn't dwell on the ball or the equipment. He focuses on the athlete. I think Maguire needed to experience the Bee in 2004 as he probably did, learn about it, interview the participants and present a small introduction, then skip most of what he wrote and head right to part II. Also, side comment: he dwelled on the word rijsttafel way too much. No one can spell it. Nobody cares.

Part 2 - the history of the Bee
Interesting enough to keep me reading and not give up

Part 3 - prior champions
I really started enjoying the book once it became more of a human interest story.

Part 4 - The history of the English language
I admit that I loved this section. If this section has been Part I, I might have given it 4.5 stars.

Part 5 - Five top contenders who appeared to be heading to the 2005 championship.
This is the heart of the book. This section was similar to Part 3 and was equally enjoyable, if not more so. I loved reading about the spellers and their families, their struggles and their commitments to each other and the goals. Kudos to the parents!!

Part 6 - the 2005 Bee after spending a year on the subject
Now that I knew who the spellers were and what they did to get to the National Spelling Bee, I actually rooted for the kids and said "awww" out loud when some of them missed their crazy, insane word. Side note to the organizers of the Bee: I can't believe proper names are included. Wow.

Other all, I enjoyed the book. I have a totally different perspective on the National Spelling Bee as an American event.

[Alex Carpentera · Rating 5 out of 5]

Usually, non fiction bores me to tears, but, since spelling bees have always sort of fascinated me, I decided to try it. I'm glad I did, too. It's definitely one of the top ten books I've ever read. The book profiles five spellers and brings you through their journey at the 2005 Scripps National Spelling Bee. The incredible amount of time and effort that the top spellers put into their spelling is truly remarkable. Each one has their own personality and study habits, and they are all truly incredible people. I would recommend this book to any nerd, linguistic or otherwise.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

It took me far longer to finish this book than I thought it would. And I really didn't enjoy it as much as I thought I would. Granted, my geek-o-meter went off the charts when I realized I knew a lot of the kids being profiled in the book. For those who don't know, this book is about the Scripps National Spelling Bee, which is held in Washington, DC every year and now broadcast on ESPN. In the past two years, the finals have moved up even farther in stature and now take place on prime time network tv (ABC). I watch every year, cheering when I know a word and sighing sadly when I don't (more sighs than cheers - shocker). Then I remind myself that most of these kids never, ever go outside because they are too busy studying spelling. Never mind that Kerry Close, last year's champ, is also a competitive boater - I need the illusion to make myself feel better.

Anyway, the book was definitely informative if you are into spelling. It's a mix of personal stories (past champs and current spellers), history (of spelling, which was really the best part, and the bee), and a look at how the Bee itself is organized. If you're into this stuff, it should be a great read...but, alas, I wasn't that gripped. I think a lot of it was the writing style, which tried to be a little too familiar and folksy - lots of "can you believe it?" type questions and far too many exclamation points. The author also used the same two words as examples over and over: boeotian and rijstaffel (and never bothered to define them so here they are, respectively: relating to Boeotia, An ancient region of Greece north of Attica and the Gulf of Corinth. The cities of the region formed the Boeotian League in the seventh century b.c. but were usually under the dominance of Thebes; and a dish originating in Indonesia; a wide variety of foods and sauces are served with rice). These kids have a word list that is 23,000 words long and he needs to only use those two words as examples of difficult? Drove me nuts.

It was, in another geek-out moment, both sad and exciting to read the chapters on Kerry Close and Samir Patel. Kerry, because I knew she would go on to win in 2006. She's a Jersey girl; I was proud. And then there is Samir, who has long been my favorite and was odds on favorite to win this year. He didn't even make it to the finals and with Eliza's no TV thing, I missed the semis, so never saw him. Probably just as well; I would have cried. I love Samir. If you've never seen this kid spell, too bad for you. There is a Wikipedia entry, ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samir_Patel), but no video. So his chapter made me sad because there was so much hope, but I already knew it was over. The kids are ineligible after 8th grade, so this was Samir's last year.

One thing the book did do was reinforce my hope that Eliza is smart. She doesn't have to be nerdy, National Spelling Bee smart (although a small part of me does think that would be really fun too), but hopefully smart enough to think watching it with Mommy is fun. While we make chocolate chip cookies, of course. And eat the dough raw.

[Pumpkin+Bear · Rating 5 out of 5]

Let's see...a book about kids who study more than they play, who know more orthography than most PhDs in English, who compete in a publicized, televised event that celebrates a VERY obtuse field of study?

What's not to like about that?

Documentaries about the spelling bee--all documentaries, including this one--have me riveted. I love reading about the kinds of kids who obsess over competitive spelling, I love comparing their dedicated and variegated study methods, I love being fed tidbits about their personality quirks and endearing characteristics, I love learning the subtle intricacies of organizing the spelling bee at all levels--heck, if anything, I'd love to read MORE about it.

Although I already know much about the history of the English language, I found the author's run down that road to be pretty easy on the eyes and quick to get through, and the history of spelling bees was the same way, only this was actually new information to me. But my favorite parts, of COURSE, were the chapters about the spellers, particularly the ones currently competing. I love to study, too, and I like to think that in a different lifetime, growing up in a different social and familial context, I'd have been a pretty competitive speller, too.

And yes, I DID look up some of the special study materials that the author mentions the spellers using. I do have an eight-year-old, after all, and, if I do say so myself, she DOES have quite the clever memory...

[Margie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. It wasn't as character-driven as something like Word Freak; rather, this author looks at the historical development of English spelling, and bees, and then profiles several competitors.
There are some things that get a bit repetitive in his description of the bee itself. He has a tendency to describe the speller's at-mic performance using an analogy based on the word being spelled (something along the lines of "She spelled boulevardier as though she summered in Paris"). It gets a bit tired after the tenth or eleventh time. But given that he's describing something which is inherently repetitive, I can forgive him a bit. He clearly loves words and has a respect for both the kids and their age.

[Shaffleoppleplutika Xeliet · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a really interesting book. Especially if you happen to be a retired spelling freak and word nerd like me. But seriously, some people have no life in this book. (I used to be one of them. Aghk.)

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I absolutely loved the book. The only thing keeping me from rating it 5 stars was that at times the writing was a bit repetitive. Still, an absolutely fascinating look at both the English language and the kids who love it.

[Emily D. · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a person that only actively tunes in to ESPN to watch the annual Scripps National Spelling Bee, this book had my name written all over it. Good thing I saw it while perusing the book sale room at the local public library-it was meant to be!
The writing was quite reporter-style (it WAS authored by a reporter) and some quips and lines got a little old, but the topic is so fascinating to me that I went into the book expecting to rate it a 5. I liked that there were sections in the book about the history of the English language, sections about the history of the American spelling bee, and especially bios on previous champions and current (when the book was written-2005) competitors.
The kids in the modern day National Spelling Bee are masters of the language, to the extent that they should probably all get an honorary bachelor's degree in linguistics. I continue to sit in amazement and jealousy every year while watching them on TV.

[Zach Strassburger · Rating 1 out of 5]

Would have been a fantastic long form mezzanine article. Was fairly awful as a book.
I LIKE spelling and spelling bees. But this was repetitive and most of the stories were boring. I liked reading about the bee itself and some of the contestants’ stories. But there was no need to go into so many contestants or the history of how English standardized as a language. I barely made myself finish the book.

[Clara Schwamm · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 stars. Really interesting! I'm compelled to read more nonfiction, especially about spelling bees (once those books exist, anyway...). I learned a lot about the history of the Bee and enjoyed the profiles of the children! I was not always thrilled about the ways Maguire treated questions of race, however.

[Jeannine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Took me a while to get through this book, but it is totally worth it.

To understand the work (or natural ability) that goes behind these spelling bee kids.

I didn't know most of the works that they had to spell.

But, I did love the friendships that is cultivated within this group of kids. It's not all competition.

And I learned the word: Borborygmus (rumbling sound that is produced by the movement of gas through the intestines)

[Noyonikaa Gupta · Rating 3 out of 5]

breaking my heart to give this 3 stars because i did enjoy most of it. I learned so much and it was super interesting, again of the microhistory/microsociology genre that i can't resist. but it was so. damn. repetitive. this should have been half the length it was. at one point it felt like the same sentences were being repeated word for word

[Jana · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a former (state) spelling bee champion, this was right up my alley! I was never at this level though - these kids are just so impressive. Also, I worked with Kerry Close and can vouch for the fact that she is an absolute gem.

[Bridget Varley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was very good. I enjoyed it and learned a lot. Kinda cool that the time of when I was reading it happened to fall during the actual spelling bee!

[Ensiform · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author covers the Scripps Spelling Bee --- the Nationals --- from 2003 to 2005. It’s a long book, 360 pages, and at times quite disjointed (it resembles a collection of loosely related magazine articles at times, from profiles of past champions to the history of American spelling bees in general to a history of the English language and why our spelling is so eccentric).

Nevertheless, it’s an exciting read, and all the history serves as great preparatory material for the book’s final section: profiles of five top spellers and how they do at the 2004 bee. It’s also quite fascinating to see how simple the words given to children up until the 1980s or so were; clearly, this is one academic area in which the standards have gotten more, not less, stringent. Maguire does a great job making this world understandable and interesting. I came away from it incredibly impressed with these overachieving tweens (in addition to being national competitors in spelling, most of them play an instrument, do a sport, and/or compete in other areas such as chess, math or geography. It almost makes one hopeful for the future. Almost.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVED this multi-faceted book. Just ask my husband, who has had to endure me reading passages to him, and endlessly theorizing about specific aspects of it. The book covers the human-interest side of the bee - what are the lives of these spelling phenoms like? How do they prepare for this event? The history of the bee itself is quite riveting - from early Puritan gatherings to the ESPN-extravaganza that it is today. While it might sound dull to read about the actual event, with a breakdown of each kid at the microphone, fidgeting, and asking questions, then finally getting or missing the word - it's instead completely engaging. The author also covers the ancestry of the English language including how new words are added today. Why are there not spelling bees in many other countries? Because in those countries, words are spelled how they sound. Learn more about the Simplified Spelling Society - a group who is more educated than you might first guess. I don't keep many books, but after loaning this one out, I can see returning to it again.

[Suzanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read American Bee hoping to find a little more of what I loved about the documentary Spellbound , which also profiles National Spelling Bee contestants. While I enjoyed the book, it didn't rise to the level of the film.

A good documentary filmmaker minimizes their intrusion; instead, they observe and coax the story out of the subjects, and then edit the film in such a way that the story tells itself. I realize that even non-fiction books generally have narrators of sorts, but the author of American Bee intruded just a wee bit too much, in my opinion. There were far too many "amusing" plays on words, about the words the kids encountered during the competitions, for example. It's a good read if you're interested in the subject (especially the history of spelling bees), but I think the film Spellbound better captures the spirit of the competition and how it affects these kids' lives, families, etc.

[Lara · Rating 4 out of 5]

If it's spring, it must be time for the spelling bee! I'm strangely intrigued by these crazy-smart kids - they are so driven and focused. How is that possible in an 11-year-old? I especially remember Rebecca Sealfont, the spazzy home-schooled kid who won about ten years ago - yes, I even remember her name. Anyway, this book looks at five kids and their path to the 2005 National Spelling Bee. They are all pretty normal kids, if only a bit nerdy. It's a fun read - the author really draws you into the excitement of the event and chances are, you don't already know the outcome. And who doesn't remember the word that eliminated them from their own spelling bees - I'm ashamed to say that in my case, it was "fierce". Damned "i" before "e"!

[Helena · Rating 1 out of 5]

To be honest, this was the most boreing book I have ever read in my life. And the only reason I even bothered to read it was because my brother said it was the best book he has ever read. But then again, he knows exactly how thses kids feel. This book was about the kids in the Scripps National Spelling Bee, and how they felt before and after the Bee. For example there was one kid named Marshall Winchester, and he likes to scream the word as he spells it. He says "it helps me focus on the word and nothing else". Each night before bed he studies the bible, he hopes to be a certified public accountant when he grows up. So basically, I wouldn't suggest this book to anyone, unless you were in the Scripps National Spelling Bee.

[jOsEpHiNe · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the few non-fictions I have up here, so cherish the review.

James Maguire (a very talented writer I must say) takes an in-depth look at the world of spelling bees and their evolution throughout the years. Maybe if you read this book, you'll have a better understanding of what I go through. From a speller's point of you, I'd say that it is very accurate and embellished to just the right amount.

If non-fiction bores you to tears, you might want to give this a try :) If it doesn't, then do read it.

However, I do realize that many people get bored with these types of things, especially my peers, kids, etc. But if so, your parents would probably like it.

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mesmerizing story - those kids are fascinating and amazing and inspirational. In many ways they are "just normal kids" and in other ways they are the intellectual cream of the crop. The ethnic and socioeconomic diversity of the kids who make it to the Bee epitmoizes the American dream, and the book pays full attention to, and honors, that aspect. Also appreciated the zoom through the history of the English language and the Spelling Bee. The writing, however, could have used just a bit more editing and polishing. Too many repeated phrases and in parts it felt rushed. Luckily the story mostly makes up for that.

[Tiffany · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh, the spelling bee. How I remember competing every year in my elementary school's spelling bee (and always getting beaten by my friend, LM). I was a geek even at such a young age. Thus, American Bee speaks to my heart.

American Bee covers the history of spelling bees, traces the genealogy of English and certain words' spellings, ponders why we enjoy watching spelling bees (ESPN can't be wrong: there must be an audience emerging for even geeky competitors), follows the 2004 and 2005 Scripps National Spelling Bees, and profiles a handful of top contenders.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Focusing on the National Spelling Bee, this story takes us through the lives of many top spellers in the country, all under the age of 14. With a precocious nature and diverse ethnic, economic and geographic backgrounds, these pre-teens and teens sacrifice everything for a chance to head to Washington D.C. to spell their hearts out. While the story of word-nerds is fascinating, the redundant history of the kids and their families does tend to get a bit tedious.

[Elizabeth · Rating 2 out of 5]

Book 2 for week "five" (I did not finish this book). I liked the parts of this book that were about the children who compete in spelling bees, but I got totally bogged down in the section about the history of the English language and why our spelling sucks so much.

After it put me to sleep twice I decided I didn't care enough to finish...and thus ended reading books with numbers in the title.

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read American Bee during the last week of 2011 and it was probably my favorite book of the year. I loved the kids' love of language and learning; it was also amazing to hear how they prepare for the bee. The amount those kids accomplish has really motivated me. The book also covers an overview of the American English language and how our words evolved into their nonsensical spellings. It is an overall fascinating book.

[Sierra · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book has a lot of great information and I feel as though I understand the ins and outs of the bee a lot better. My main issue with the book was that it had too much information and became very drawn out so I had to struggle to get through the second half of it. The book should have been split into two different books: one focusing on the history of the bee and one focusing on the competitors.