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Parents' Guide to

The Fingertips of Duncan Dorfman

By Sally Engelfried, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 9+

Misfit finds a place to belong through Scrabble superpower.

The Fingertips of Duncan Dorfman Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this book.

Community Reviews

age 11+

Based on 1 parent review

age 11+

An accurate intro to The National School SCRABBLE Competition

In this realistic fiction novel, several teams of middle school students are preparing to compete in The National School SCRABBLE Competition. Each team has a unique background that drives them to creative solutions throughout the story. The author deals with issues such as bullying, long-lost-friends, one parent families, and blended families. Woven throughout the text are guides to playing competition SCRABBBLE. I use this book as a read-aloud and it is always accessed with an applause at the end of the book!

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (1 ):
Kids say (38 ):

Although Duncan’s newbie Scrabble status gives Wolitzer a handy excuse to explain the game, the premise of Duncan’s magic fingers, the only fantastic element in the story, is a bit hard to swallow. However, Duncan is a likable kid, and readers will sympathize with him as he struggles with the choice of whether to use his newfound power. The supporting stories of April and Nate are equally engaging -- April’s longing to gain the acceptance of her sports-loving family and Nate’s attempt to live up to his father’s expectations will be understood to by many kids, even if they have never played Scrabble. The adults tend to blurt out long-hidden truths that hurry each story to its conclusion, but the tournament scenes are exciting, and the resolution is satisfying.

Book Details

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