Macmillan Dictionary for Children - Hardcover

Dictionaries designed for the upper-elementary- and middle-school crowd try to nudge children up the language ladder by including parts of speech, inflected forms, and pronunciation and also adding more advanced dictionary features, such as syllabification, cross-references, and idioms. This dictionary is no exception. It was last issued in 2001, but instead of updating, the publisher has acquired a completely new work. There are still approximately 35,000 entries but now almost 3,000 images (the previous edition had 1,100 illustrations, most of them photographs) and numerous differences in layout and design, making for a livelier, if also denser looking, page. Entries contains the usual elements, such as parts of speech, pronunciation, and variants and inflected forms, but otherwise bear little resemblance to those in past editions, with a different arrangement, different definitions, sample sentences, word histories, and usage notes. There are no synonyms, which comparable dictiionaries have. Other changes include feature panels on topics such as geothermal regions, killer whales, and optical illustions. Users will no longer find entries for place-names or the fairly detailed "Story of English" at the beginning of the volume, and the reference section at the back of the volume is a bit skimpier (no more thesaurus, no more weights and measures). This dictionary remains a good choice for the older children in its designated age range. The many illustrations, some of which take up half a page, add interest and will invite browsing. Children at the lower end of the range will have an easier time with The American Heritage Children's Dictionary (2003), which has simpler definitions and a less-crowded design. Quinn, Mary Ellen

With 35,000 entries, 1,100 color photographs and a reference section including a thesaurus and maps of the world, the Macmillan Dictionary for Children 4th Revised Edition makes a handy resource. Other features include spelling hints, brief etymologies for selected words, and expanded illustrations with labeled parts.

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