Author Tara Lazar Has a Word For You…More Than 750 Words to Be Precise.

I recently had the pleasure to read an ARC copy of Children’s Book Author Tara Lazar’s newest book ABSURD WORDS:A Kids Fun and Hilarious Vocabulary Builder for Word Nerds (Sourcebooks explore) and I am hooked! Not only is it a  classroom resource for writing programs, it is also a fantastical humdinger of a volume for anyone who loves words.Since I fit that category, I got a copy for myself. And I asked Tara to tell us how she came to wrote this unique tome. Here she is in her vivacious and effervescent style:

1. I know you’ve been a word nerd for a long time. How did your collection of unusual words come about?

You know those people who sing along to a song but mess up all the words? Yeah? That’s not me. I’ve always been tuned into words not only for their meanings, but for their sounds. 

I was reading several years ago and came across the word “archipelago”. I thought to myself–I LOVE that word! And I hadn’t heard it in so long! So I wrote it down. I wanted to remember that I loved it, and I didn’t want it to disappear again for years. 

Then, each time I came across another fabulous word, I wrote it down. Soon I had a large word menagerie and I placed it online…where I added to it even more! It became one of the most popular pages on my website. (https://taralazar.com/2014/06/09/list-of-200-fun-cool-and-interesting-words/)

2. The user-friendly format of this book is great. What led you to arrange the words in such a unique way?

That was my editor Bunmi Ishola’s idea. And it was brilliant! I had put the words in simple alphabetical order, but we knew that wasn’t right. It wouldn’t invite people to read through it in such a common, predictable order. These were AMAZING words and they needed an equally AMAZING format! She came up with the category format and I was immediately sold!

(But then it took weeks and months to figure out the categories!)    

3. What was the research process like?

Weeks and weeks at the library, among the reference materials–dictionaries and etymology books. I enjoyed digging in, except for the uncomfortable chairs. I had to bring along my own cushion!

4. Use your five favorite absurd words in one sentence?

“I found zaftig Aunt Barbara’s pulchritudinous baubles–eureka!–in a labyrinth of tchotchkes at her bungalow in the willowwacks.”

That’s eight!

5. What do you want writers young and old to know about this book?

This is the book I always wished I had. I made it fun and engaging so you could pick it up and spend hours learning odd words and odder facts–and not even notice the hours ticking by. In fact, it was such a long process between writing and the final product that I picked it up and spent hours with it myself!

6. Anything else you’d like to add?

I hit a brick wall at the word “nudnik,” which is a Yiddish word for a numbskull. I had an etymology dictionary say it came into English usage after the movie “Nudnik of the North.” Well, that sounded like a comedy spoof of “Nanook of the North,” which is a fun fact, so I searched those references. Nothing. I contacted the National Center for Jewish Film at Brandeis and they had no records of “Nudnik of the North”. I even contacted the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences–the Oscar people!–and they couldn’t verify the movie, either. Eventually I just left “nudnik” out of the book, which still bothers me!!!

 

Lucky for all you word nerds out there, Tara has agreed to give away a signed copy of the book to one randomly chosen winner. Leave a comment sharing one of your favorite underused words to enter. Share this post and get a second chance to win.

Street magic performer. Hog-calling champion. Award-winning ice sculptor. These are all things Tara Lazar has never been. Instead, she writes quirky, humorous picture books where anything is possible!

Tara’s newest book is BLOOP, about an alien who comes to conquer earth but believe the dogs are in charge. (Well, aren’t they?)

7 ATE 9: THE UNTOLD STORY was honored with the 2018 Irma S. & James H. Black Award for Excellence in Children’s Literature from Bank Street College of Education, chosen by thousands of children across the US. Her other titles include THE MONSTORE, I THOUGHT THIS WAS A BEAR BOOK, LITTLE RED GLIDING HOOD, NORMAL NORMAN, WAY PAST BEDTIME, YOUR FIRST DAY OF CIRCUS SCHOOL, THREE WAYS TO TRAP A LEPRECHAUN, and THE UPPER CASE: TROUBLE IN CAPITAL CITY, the sequel to 7 ATE 9.

Tara’s signature writing style is full of puns, wordplay, and goofy fun that makes both kids and adults giggle non-stop.

Discover original stories, book reviews and giveaways at her award-winning blog “Writing for Kids (While Raising Them)” at TaraLazar.com.

Tara was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in 2010. She speaks professionally about overcoming disability to achieve your goals and dreams. Tara teaches writing workshops for SCBWI, Highlights Foundation, and schools across America. She’s Co-Chair of the Rutgers University Council on Children’s Literature 1-on-1 conference and a former picture book mentor for We Need Diverse Books (WNDB) and #PBChat, a social media writing community.

Tara lives in New Jersey with her husband, two daughters, and a skateboarding hamster named Ozzie.