Artfully designed in black and white using abstracted portions of enlarged letterforms, Please Don't Say An X Word offers a jumping off point for that all-important discussion about verbal abuse and bullying with upper elementary and middle school students. But first, what is an x word? In math, "x" stands for a missing quantity, as in the equation 2(x) = 4, where x equals 2. And so it is in this book, where "x words" stand for all the "bad, angry, hurtful words" we use to denigrate others in the heat of an argument. Using just the right amount of humor and thoughtfulness, W. Nikola-Lisa, author of the award-winning Bein' With You This Way, urges us to reflect on how we talk to each other, at the same time encouraging us to explore the incredible beauty and richness of language.
Book links
Goodreads * Amazon * B&N * IndieBound
**My thoughts**
When I read the title of this book, I was intrigued to try to figure out what an X-word would be, though I had a pretty good idea. And I was intrigued by the premise of it being an anti-bullying book.
When I started it, I loved the contrast of the black and white pictures. And it started out fun. But then abruptly in the middle, the tone completely changed and I got confused. I didn't really feel the anti-bullying message. I didn't quite understand how X-words were being defined, especially when being compared to other words beginning with other letters. And if I am not totally understanding it, I am not sure that children will get it, either.
Overall, I feel like it was a great idea that fell short and could be reworked and maybe come across better. I gave it 2.5 stars.
Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for fulfilling my review request. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
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