Woe Is I Jr.

The Younger Grammarphobe’s Guide to Better English in Plain English

Shrek? Earwax-flavored jelly
beans? Poems about meatballs?

Who on earth would use all these to explain the rules of grammar? Must be Patricia T. O’Conner!

Just like Woe Is I, her national bestseller for adults, the junior version uses simple language and entertaining examples to make good English fun. Hey, grammar doesn’t have to be gruesome or gross or grim. How gratifying!

This is one reference book you’ll enjoy pulling off the shelf.

To buy Woe Is I Jr., visit your local bookstore, Amazon.com, or Barnes&Noble.com.

Praise for Woe Is I Jr.

“Get ready for a very funny and clever read about grammar that combines entertainment and learning in one!”

—Children’s Book-of-the-Month Club

A New York Times “Editor’s Choice.”

A “light-hearted grammar” that “covers a lot of tricky areas.”

— The New York Times Book Review

“A humorous introduction to grammar.”

— Publisher’s Weekly

A “smart, funny guide to grammar and style” for children.

— Junior Library Guild

“Jargon-free explanations and entertaining examples (Shrek, Count Olaf, Garfield, and Harry Potter all put in appearances).”

— School Library Journal

“O’Conner uses simple language, catchy rhymes, and entertaining examples to explain the mysteries of grammar in terms that will make sense and hold your attention.”

— The Kansas City Star

“In this entertaining treasure, O’Conner’s blithe banter will attract young adult readers, and her irreverent delivery will retain them.”

—Voya

“O’Conner makes getting writing right totally entertaining.”

 — Omaha World-Herald

“A book all middle school teachers should require kids to read.”

— Columbia (Mo.) Daily Tribune

The “lack of jargon makes the book’s grammar approachable and fresh.”

— slowreads.com

Some Chapters

  • “I” Witness: When Words Need Stand-ins
  • Plurals Before Swine: Sometimes There’s More Than One
  • Yours Truly: Possessives and the Possessed
  • Action Figures: Words That Do the Work
  • Small Miracles: Incredible Shrinking Words
  • Casting a Spell: How to Be Letter Perfect
  • Endangered List: The Bruised, the Abused, and the Misused
  • Connecting the Dots: All About Punctuation

Laugh While You Learn

You can say “Woe is I” if you want to sound like the Queen of England. But if you want to sound normal and still be correct, this is the book for you.

Praise for the original Woe Is I

“This is, like, a cool book.”

— Garrison Keillor

“Lighthearted and funny.”

—Daniel Pinkwater, The New York Times Book Review

“Delightful . . . witty, economical and fun to read.”

—Publishers Weekly

“Possibly the most popular book on grammar ever published.”

—Writers.com

“Witty and humorous.”

—Library Journal