This addition to Barron’s Painless series is focused to meet the needs of middle school and high school students. The author’s friendly, informal narrative style takes the drudgery out of students’ vocabulary building, which is a prerequisite for their academic achievement and future success in college and beyond. Each of 24 chapters introduces 15 new words, first placing the words in a brief essay that allows students to comprehend them in a given context. “Brain Tickler” questions that follow challenge students and help them determine whether they have gained some mastery of word usage. Sidebars appear on many pages with titles such as “Major Mistake Territory,” alerting students to possible pitfalls and problems involving correct understanding of word meanings and normal usage. Each chapter concludes with an “On Your Own” section, which invites students to use the target vocabulary list within the context of their own everyday speech. Morbid. . . furtively . . . predecessor . . . infer . . . are typical examples of words students will learn to use with ease. The book’s vocabulary is neither too easy nor too arcane—focusing instead on words that students should have at their command in high-school and by the time they enter college. Read Less