Speaking American is a great book!

Lucia Leisure ★★★★★

I just love Josh Katz’s new book! It’s about 1 in different parts of the US. The information in the book was collected from the quiz that Katz built on the website in 2013. The quiz asked what words people use for something, and their answers showed interesting facts. For example, there are different names for sports shoes. In most parts of the US, people say “tennis shoes.” In the northeast of the country, people wear “sneakers.” In some towns, “tennis shoes” and “sneakers” become “gym shoes.”

The use of words tells us where people are from, like Katz’s book says. But in my experience, it also shows 2. My family has lived in New York since my grandparents. It’s not surprising that I say “sneakers.” But my grandfather says “plimsolls,” and my daughter says “kicks” or “vans.” Maybe Katz can study this difference for his next book.