The Right Word: Roget and His Thesaurus

"Words, Peter learned, were powerful things. And when he put them in long, neat rows, he felt as if the world itself clicked into order."

For shy young Peter Mark Roget, books were the best companions -- and it wasn't long before Peter began writing his own book. But he didn't write stories; he wrote lists. Peter took his love for words and used it to organize his ideas and find exactly the right word to express just what he thought. His lists grew and grew, eventually turning into one of the most important reference books of all time.

This book is an inviting, visually engrossing portrayal of Peter Mark Roget and the creation of the thesaurus. Readers of all ages will marvel at Roget's life, depicted through lyrical text and brilliantly detailed illustrations. This elegant book celebrates the joy of learning and the power of words.

Awards and Recognition

Parents' Choice Foundation Parents' Choice Award Gold Winner (2015)
American Library Association Caldecott Honor Book (2015)
American Library Association Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Medal (2015)
American Library Association Notable Children's Books (2015)
Junior Library Guild Selection
2014 Kirkus Prize for Young Readers' Literature Finalist
2014 American Booksellers Association Best Books for Children Catalog
Society of Illustrators, "The Original Art" annual exhibition (2014)
California Reading Association Eureka! Honor Award (2014)
2015-2016 Texas Bluebonnet Award Master List
School Library Journal Best Books of 2014
Kirkus Best of 2014
Publishers Weekly Best Books (2014)
Horn Book Fanfare (2014)
Huffington Post Best Picture Books of 2014: Best Biography (Non-Artist)
New York Times Notable Children's Books of 2014
Booklist 2014 Editors' Choice: Books for Youth
Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People 2015
2015-2016 Georgia Children's Picturebook Award Finalist
Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators 2015 Golden Kite Award
National Council of Teachers of English 2015 Orbis Pictus Honor
The Children's Literature Assembly 2015 Notable Children's Books in the Language Arts List
Bank Street College Best Children's Books of the Year, 2015 Edition
Teachers' Choice 2015 Reading List
Chautauqua Literary and Scientific Circle (CLSC) 2015 Young Readers Selection

Author: Jen Bryant
Publisher: Eerdmans Books for Young Readers
Published: 09/15/2014
Pages: 42
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 1lbs
Size: 11.10h x 8.10w x 0.40d
ISBN: 9780802853851
Audience: Ages 4-8

Accelerated Reader:
Reading Level: 4.1
Point Value: 0.5
Interest Level: Lower Grade
Quiz #/Name: 168163 / Right Word: Roget and His Thesaurus


Award: Golden Kite - Winner
Award: Kirkus Prize - Finalist
Award: Bluebonnet Awards - Nominee
Award: Orbis Pictus Award - Honor Book
Award: Caldecott Medal - Honor Book
Award: Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Award - Winner
Award: Georgia Children's Book Award - Finalist
Award: Keystone to Reading Book Award - Nominee
Award: Lupine Award - Winner
Award: Capitol Choices: Noteworthy Books for Children and Teens - Recommended
Award: Charlotte Award - Nominee
Award: Parents Choice Awards (Fall) (2008-Up) - Gold Medal Winner


Review Citation(s):
Publishers Weekly 07/07/2014
Booklist 08/01/2014 pg. 64
Kirkus Reviews 08/01/2014
CBA Retailers 09/01/2014 pg. 33
Foreword 08/27/2014
School Library Journal 10/01/2014 pg. 128
Bulletin of Ctr for Child Bks 11/01/2014 pg. 147
Shelf Awareness 10/03/2014
Horn Book Magazine 11/01/2014 pg. 121
PW Best Children's Books 11/03/2014 pg. 40
New York Times Book Review 11/09/2014 pg. 37
Kirkus Best Picture Books 11/15/2014 pg. 57
PW Children's Starred Reviews 12/01/2014 pg. 58
NY Times Notable Bks of Year 12/07/2014 pg. 35
SLJ's Best Books 12/01/2014 pg. 26
Entertainment Weekly 12/19/2014 pg. 62
Booklist Ed Choice Youth 01/01/2015 pg. 16
Hornbook Guide to Children 01/01/2015 - Outstanding, Noteworthy In Style

About the Author
Bryant, Jen: - Jen Bryant has written numerous books for young readers, including Georgia's Bones and A River ofWords, winner of the Charlotte Zolotow Honor Award.Her book A Splash of Red (Knopf)received the Schneider Family Book Award and theNCTE Orbis Pictus Award for nonfiction. She lives inPennsylvania.Sweet, Melissa: - Melissa Sweet (www.melissasweet.net) hasillustrated many award winning books, including ARiver of Words (Eerdmans), a 2009 Caldecott Honorbook, and A Splash of Red (Knopf), an NCTEOrbis Pictus Award winner and a Sibert Honor book. Shealso wrote and illustrated Balloons OverBroadway (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt), winner of the2012 Sibert Medal and the NCTE Orbis Pictus Award.Melissa lives in Maine.