Bananagrams for KidsPaperback, 22 April 2010

Kids love Bananagrams--so what better treat for kids who love puzzles and wordplay than a smart, just-for-them collection: Bananagrams! for Kids.

Puzzability, the premier puzzle-writing company who wrote The Brainiest Insaniest Ultimate Puzzle Book! and whose mind-benders have appeared in Disney Adventures, Nickelodeon magazine, The New Yorker, and The New York Times, creates original and unexpected word puzzles that capture the quick-on-your-feet spirit of Bananagrams. There are over a dozen of banana-themed varieties, including Bunched Up (a mini-crossword), Monkey in the Middle (building a larger word out of two smaller words, with clues), Banana Pancakes (a stack of anagrams using letters in common), and Going Bananas (complete a sentence with two different words made from the same letters).

What's invisible to kids is that behind the silly names and clever formats, these games have a strong educational side--they strengthen vocabulary, reward agile thinking, and reinforce the idea that using your brain is fun. The puzzles are rated in difficulty from one to four bananas, and an answer key is included.