Word Travelers and the Taj Mahal Mystery

My 6 year old daughter who is an advanced reader grabbed this and read it in one sitting. She loves mysteries, and also enjoyed the details about India, and learning the meaning of different words. The best compliment she can give is to look to see if there's another book after the one she just read, and she was excited to see that there was another, but a little bummed it has a future release date.

Nine-year-old Eddie and ten-year-old MJ are best friends who love to explore together, even though their interests do not always align. One Super Saturday, when the two get together for their weekly sleepover, Eddie wonders about the origin of the word pyjamas. His mother provides a cryptic response, inviting him to seek out an old and worn book from their creepy attic. When they do, the book divulges more secrets than they expect, and the two friends find themselves suddenly transported to India where a boy named Dev needs their help.Written for an early middle-grade audience, this book incorporates many illustrations with short chapters and ample white space. Through this design, newly confident readers will receive immense satisfaction as they move from one part of the story to the next, drawn in by both the compelling text and the detailed visuals. Readers with an interest in travel, history, and language will dive headfirst into this riveting adventure.Throughout the narrative, specific words are featured in bold text, indicating their inclusion in a glossary at the end of the book. There, readers will find a pronunciation guide, a definition of the word, and an explanation of where the word originated. As the title implies, Eddie and MJ travel the world in search of words, and their Awesome Enchanted Book serves as a critical guide.Illustrations are just as important as the text in this book and are included on the majority of the pages. Whether appearing as a chapter accent or filling an entire page, these dynamic, black-and-white images provide additional comprehension support for the action in the story. Eddie is depicted with light skin and red hair, MJ has a dark complexion and brown, curly hair, and Dev appears with tan skin, wearing traditional Indian garments. Important moments in the plot are emphasized in the illustrations which bring the story to vibrant life.Young children who are becoming comfortable reading chapter books independently will find this story to be both accessible and enjoyable. Because of the element of mystery and the inclusion of more challenging vocabulary and concepts, this is a great step up from series like Geronimo Stilton and The Magic Treehouse. This unique approach to adventure through words will captivate young readers and will teach them something new along the way. It is a fabulous addition to libraries for late elementary and early middle grade readers.I received a copy of this book from Reedsy and I chose to leave this review.

Children’s author Raj Haldar is back with another fun educational book for kids. This one is great adventure wrapped in word origins that teaches us that our common words originate from all over the globe. Definitely a great pick up for your young readers.

I found the storyline awkward and was somewhat surprised by how much my son enjoyed it. I like the concept of learning the origin of words and the adventures to solve the mystery were basic but fun for him. He has already read the second one, which is a bit longer but otherwise similar.

Best friends Molly-Jean (MJ) and Eddie are ready for their Super Saturday sleepover. They usually spend the day playing outside and then do crossword puzzles and watch movies before bed. They have their blanket fort made and ready for them when Eddie decides to ask where the word “pajamas” comes from.His mom overhears them talking and suggests that he go up to the attic to find his great-grandfather’s book. She says it’s the oldest and biggest one up there. She explains to Eddie and MJ that he had been an etymologist, someone who researches the origins of words.Eddie and MJ head up to the attic to see if they can find the book among all the books on the shelves. They finally see a big book on the top shelf. It’s tied with twine but it’s just over their heads. But before they can figure out a way to reach it, it flies off the shelf, the twine breaks away, and it opens on its own.The friends read a message from Eddie’s great-grandfather, inviting them to pick a word and start an adventure. Eddie looks up pajamas to find out that it comes from India, and before they know it, MJ and Eddie find themselves transported to India.Immediately they meet another kid, Dev, who is trying to find the treasure his grandfather had left his family because their town had flooded and he wants to rebuild their school. As MJ, Eddie, and Dev follow the clues and race around India, they learn the origins of more words, like cheetah, dingy, and dungaree.But when they realize that they are being followed by another man, a man who wants to steal the treasure away from Dev and his family. Will MJ and Eddie help Dev figure out the clues in time? And will they be able to get back home to their families and their new magical book?Word Travelers and the Taj Mahal Mystery is the first in a series of middle grade adventures where friends get to travel the world to find out where everyday words come from. Written by Raj Haldar, musician and author of the bestselling P is for Pterodactyl and beautifully illustrated by Neha Rawat, this captivating adventure book will teach kids about words and about foreign lands through fun stories.I thoroughly enjoyed Word Travelers and the Taj Mahal Mystery. It’s smart and funny and weaves the learning in with friendship and adventures. I would have loved this when I was a kid, but honestly, I had a lot of fun with it as an adult too. This is a great way to get kids interested in word origins and to be smarter readers.A copy of Word Travelers and the Taj Mahal Mystery was provided by Sourcebooks Kids, with many thanks.

I liked the premise of learning where English words originated, but this book kinda fell flat. I was not sure how to pronounce the Indian words and so had no way to see if the English word sounded like it or not. The plot was not too suspenseful, which was good for young kids, but it was also a little simple and flat. Don't expect character development. My 8 year old read the whole book and wants to read the rest in the series, but he is not going to re-read them like other books and I don't blame him.