LitPick Review
Dynamic Duos: Word Fun Riddles and Crisscross Puzzles by Helene Havanec is an interactive workbook that includes two types of puzzle games. Instructions for each of the two games is provided preceding the first puzzle and answers are presented at the back of the book. The first 25 puzzles are Word Fun Riddles. For this activity, you must compare the word in the left column with the word in the right, identifying which “extra” letter is in one of the words. The extra letter gets written in the blank. As you complete each pair of words, you will reveal the answer to the riddle at the top of the page. The second set of 25 puzzles contains Crisscross Puzzles. Mimicking the look of a crossword puzzle, these puzzles group words by how many letters they have. Using only a few given letters on the board, you must determine the placement of each of the words in the word bank.
Opinion:
As an educator herself, Helene Havanec designs unique puzzle games that will stimulate the minds of students and adults alike! With its appealing cover and the narrating “puzzle pooch”, children will be excited to open up this workbook and put on their thinking caps. Both games are visually well presented, with clear font and adequate spacing, eliminating overwhelm. As an adult reviewer, I found the puzzles to be engaging. While I was not stumped, the puzzles encouraged me to think carefully and pay attention to detail. These puzzles will make a great independent activity for upper elementary and middle grade students. But don’t leave out the young ones! This book is a great enrichment activity or class activity for students in the early grades as well.
One thing I found appealing is that the words used throughout the puzzles are great for enhancing vocabulary. Each Crisscross puzzle contains words around a theme. Categories like “long i” and “double o” words make a great addition to a weekly word study unit, while names of U.S. Cities might be used to incorporate geography into word work. Of course, there are themes for even the youngest players, including “seasons” and “October 31st”.
Additionally, players do not have to be able to fluently decode the words, as the game is written, and can be played using only the visual representation of the words and make for good focus practice. This is reassuring for some children who may struggle with phonological awareness, or even speech and language challenges.
Taking just a few minutes each, anyone can enjoy these screen-free word puzzles with the perfect balance of fun and challenge. I encourage parents, teachers, and any grown-ups who love words to give these puzzles a try! Happy solving!
