Best Children's Dictionaries of 2025

The Merriam-Webster Children's Dictionary, New Edition is an excellent resource for children aged 7-9 who are learning new words. With over 35,000 entries, 3,000 full-color illustrations and photographs, and a reference section that includes information on world flags, U.S. state information, and a full list of U.S. presidents and vice-presidents, this book is an indispensable companion for school projects and research. The book also features clear definitions, usage examples, notes on spelling and punctuation, and updated maps and country statistics. Overall, this book is a great addition to any child's library, and the modern photographs and illustrations give it a lively, accessible look.

The Merriam-Webster's Word-for-Word Spanish-English Dictionary is a valuable tool for Spanish-speaking students taking state standardized tests. The dictionary includes over 53,000 entries of core vocabulary in Spanish and English, with a user-friendly format for easy word search. It also features over 2,000 new words from various fields such as science, medicine, technology, and popular culture. This dictionary is an excellent resource for students in grades 3 and up. Overall, the Merriam-Webster's Word-for-Word Spanish-English Dictionary is an essential addition to any student's library.

Merriam-Webster's First Dictionary is an excellent beginner's dictionary for children in grades K-2. It introduces young readers to 3,000 words using 1,000 entries and hundreds of captivating illustrations by beloved children's illustrator, Ruth Heller. The dictionary teaches basic skills such as alphabetization, spelling, parts of speech, synonyms, antonyms, homographs, and homophones. Additionally, it includes jokes, riddles, poems, and fun facts about words, making learning fun. The use of popular stories, fairy tales, myths, and nursery rhymes stimulates children's imagination and encourages language exploration. Overall, this engaging, full-color dictionary is a great learning tool for children.

The Scholastic Children's Dictionary (2019) is a comprehensive dictionary designed specifically for kids. With over 500 new or revised entries, the dictionary covers contemporary technological, scientific, and cultural terms, and includes vivid pictures, a kid-friendly pronunciation guide, and sample sentences. In addition, the dictionary features a thesaurus, grammar guide, idioms guide, geography guide, and US presidents guide. The book is ideal for classroom and home use, making it the perfect reference guide for kids and ENL learners of all ages. Scholastic Inc.'s mission to encourage the intellectual and personal growth of all children is evident in this educational and informative dictionary.

The Spectrum Spelling Workbook Grade 5 is an excellent resource for children aged 10-11 to learn basic grammar and vocabulary skills. The workbook features engaging and educational spelling and handwriting practice activities such as rhyming words, prefixes and suffixes, and writing paragraphs. The lessons also include reviews, an English dictionary, notes pages, and an answer key to track progress. This workbook is perfect for homeschooling and classroom curriculum, and it is practically sized at about 8 ½ inches x 11 inches. Overall, the Spectrum Spelling Workbook Grade 5 is a must-have resource for parents and teachers who want to help their students get ahead in language arts.

The Merriam-Webster's Illustrated Spanish-English Student Dictionary, Newest Edition is an excellent resource for students in grades 4-8 learning Spanish or English. With more than 50,000 concise translations, including variants, inflected forms, common phrases, synonyms, and definitions, this bidirectional resource helps students write and speak effectively. It also includes special sections for verb conjugation and detailed drawings to identify parts of the object in both languages. Additionally, an appendix provides pronunciation guides to the English words. Overall, this durable book is perfect for use at school and home, and for students learning a second language.

The Spanish-English Picture Dictionary is an excellent learning book for kids and adults to learn Spanish. With 350 illustrations of familiar objects and phonetic spellings of Spanish words, this dictionary is a fun way for young English-speaking children to build a basic vocabulary in Spanish. The book is perfect for parents, teachers, and gift givers looking for homeschool supplies. The pictures are bright and colorful, and the words are grouped by themes children will understand. Overall, this book is perfect for anyone looking for a fun and interactive way to learn Spanish.

Once Upon a Word is an excellent dictionary for kids that teaches vocabulary through word origins, definitions, and stories. It is an exciting book that explores the history and meaning of English words, improving kids' vocabulary and spelling while also encouraging them to play with language. The book is packed with easy-to-understand definitions and awesome word origin stories, making it easier for kids aged 9 to 12 to comprehend. This unique dictionary includes roots, branches, and word tidbits, which help readers understand the building blocks that make up words. Overall, Once Upon a Word is an engaging and educational book that every parent and educator should have on hand for curious young minds.

Absurd Words is a fun and engaging vocabulary builder for kids that educators, parents, and future word nerds will appreciate. The book features over 750 high-level, wondrous, and wacky words with sample sentences and word history to help new words make sense. The bright and fun illustrations make learning new words enjoyable, and the ability to search by category makes new word choices easy to find. This dictionary-thesaurus hybrid is a must-have for library classrooms, and it will have readers using vocabulary that will astound listeners! In conclusion, Absurd Words is an exuberant, lighthearted, and friendly book that will help kids build confidence and become stronger readers, writers, and communicators.

The Merriam-Webster’s Spanish-English Visual Dictionary is an exceptional vocabulary-building resource that features 8,000 detailed, full-color pictures illustrating the meaning of 22,500 terms in both Spanish and English. The dictionary is organized by subject, covering all aspects of life, including astronomy, human beings, plants and gardening, art and architecture, and much more. This book is perfect for teachers, students, parents, and translators alike. Overall, this dictionary is an excellent tool for anyone looking to improve their Spanish or English vocabulary, and its visual approach makes it stand out among other language dictionaries.