There's an idea floating around out there, an unspoken opinion that says the Scripps National Spelling Bee is interesting only to boring word nerds and dull academic braniacs. Here is a book which explodes that myth. Written from the perspective of a 2009 speller, Verbomania presents what it is like to experience Bee Week in Washington, DC. It details the tension and nerves, friendship and camaraderie, laughter and tears, the joy that comes with winning and the heartbreak that accompanies losing at the Scripps National Spelling Bee. Maybe spelling is not technically a sport--despite being broadcast on ESPN each year--but after reading Verbomania, you'll agree that it is a real competition in every sense of the word.