As a painfully shy and quiet third grader, I read my little, red, pocket-size dictionary at recess and snack times for fun. The big words fascinated me. Who came up with these words? How did they decide what they mean? How did you use the word idiosyncratic in a sentence and sound like you meant to use that word all along? A tall and lanky sixth grader wrote about the life and function of algae, while everyone else wrote about the history of the telescope or about the difference between sharks and whales. With an attached vocabulary sheet proving I knew the meaning of the words used, I aced the paper and the teacher made me read it to the class. Though he was entirely impressed, my class fell asleep before page three. Though appearing geeky, I stood out and that was my intention.