The Fingertips of Duncan Dorfman - by Meg Wolitzer

Scrabble Time!  Yes, I bought this book because I'm a major Scrabble fan, and it did not disappoint.  The story focuses on four sixth-graders from different parts of the country who all end up at the Youth Scrabble Tournament in Yakamee, Florida.  Each player ended up there through a very unique set of circumstances, and it's fascinating to watch the different story lines as they twist and weave, and finally join together.  

This is a great introduction to competitive Scrabble, and it accurately depicts life as a young Scrabble player.  It's also a very well-written story with a number of interesting characters and sub-plots.  The title is important to the story, but is really only one of the plot-lines.  There's a slight fantasy element to the story, which doesn't really add much to the book, but it's solidly Realistic Fiction.

Pick this delightful book up if you enjoy Scrabble, reading about young friendships (good and bad), skateboarding, "tween" life, cheating bullies, or secret friends who are really good at drawing aliens.