WordGirl facts for kids

WordGirl (also known as W✪RD GIRL) is an American animated TV show. It's about a superhero who helps kids learn new words. The show was made by Soup2Nuts and Scholastic Entertainment for PBS Kids.

WordGirl first appeared as short cartoons called The Amazing Colossal Adventures of WordGirl. These shorts started on November 10, 2006, and were often shown after Maya & Miguel. Because they were so popular, the shorts became their own full TV series. The first episode aired on September 3, 2007. Each of the four main seasons has 26 episodes.

By December 2014, many TV stations stopped showing WordGirl. New episodes then became available online on the PBS Kids website and app. The series finished with a two-part episode called "Rhyme and Reason" on August 7, 2015. The show was created for children aged 4 to 9, but older kids and even adults can enjoy it!

How WordGirl Started

WordGirl began as short cartoons in 2006. These shorts were part of another show called Maya & Miguel. In September 2007, WordGirl became its own TV series.

The person who created the show, Dorothea Gillim, wanted to make smart and funny TV for kids. She felt that sometimes children's shows don't give kids enough credit for how smart they are. Gillim focused on telling great stories with interesting characters and cool animation. She hoped that kids would watch for the laughs and then learn something new along the way.

Gillim also wanted parents to watch the show with their children. This way, families could learn and have fun together.

Learning New Words

In most episodes, you'll hear instructions to listen for two special words. These words are used throughout the story. Words like "diversion," "cumbersome," and "idolize" are chosen carefully. The show helps kids understand these words. For example, "cumbersome" means "big and heavy and awkward."

PBS NewsHour anchor Jim Lehrer even did a pretend interview with WordGirl! Jack D. Ferraiolo helped create the series and was the head writer for the first season. He won an Emmy for his work on WordGirl.

The show's first writers were not typical children's TV writers. Some had worked on shows like The Onion and Family Guy. The narrator, Chris Parnell, was known for Saturday Night Live. This mix of talent helped make the show unique.

Meet WordGirl and Her Friends

The main character is WordGirl, a superhero with amazing powers. Her secret identity is Becky Botsford, a normal student. WordGirl was born on a planet called Lexicon. This planet's name is also a word that means all the words in a language or a dictionary.

WordGirl came to Earth by accident. She snuck onto a spaceship and fell asleep. Captain Huggy Face, a monkey pilot from Lexicon, was flying the ship. When WordGirl woke up, he lost control, and they crashed on Earth. On Earth, WordGirl gained superpowers like flying and super strength. She uses these powers to protect her new home, Fair City. Her crashed spaceship becomes her secret superhero base!

Becky's Life on Earth

Tim and Sally Botsford adopted WordGirl and named her Becky. As Becky, she has a younger brother named TJ. TJ loves WordGirl, but he doesn't know that his own sister is the superhero! The Botsford family also keeps Captain Huggy Face as a pet, calling him Bob.

Becky goes to Woodview Elementary School. Her best friend is Violet Heaslip. Another friend is Todd “Scoops” Ming, who works for the school newspaper.

WordGirl tries to balance being a superhero with her normal life. She fights against many villains who often misuse words. At the same time, she has to keep her secret identity safe. She also deals with everyday family life, just like any other kid.

Show Format and Fun Segments

Each episode has two 11-minute parts. Between and after these parts, there are short animated segments.

• "What's Your Favorite Word?" This segment is hosted by Todd "Scoops" Ming. He asks real kids what their favorite words are and why.
• "May I Have a Word?" This is a short game show segment. The host, Beau Handsome, asks three contestants to define a word. This segment helps viewers learn the meaning of new words.
• Captain Huggy Face's Word Demonstrations: The announcer asks Captain Huggy Face to show what a word means. For example, he might act out "pensive" (meaning thoughtful) or "flummoxed" (meaning confused). When he gets it right, a definition appears, and he does a victory dance!

In a special four-part episode called "The Rise of Miss Power", there was a different segment. Instead of "May I Have a Word?", a "Pretty Princess Power Hour" sketch was shown. This was because the episode was extra long.

Online Fun with WordGirl

The WordGirl website is on PBS Kids. It has lots of fun things to do:

• Games that help you learn new words.
• A section where kids can share their favorite words.
• Videos from the show (only available in the US).
• A "Heroes and Villains" section with information about the characters and activities.
• A special PBS Parents section with episode guides and more activities for families.

Voice Actors and Characters

WordGirl Comics

There are also WordGirl comic books! They were released by Boom! Studios under their KaBOOM! line. Here are some of the comic book titles:

• Coalition of Malice
• Super Fans
• Incredible Shrinking Allowance
• Fondue, Fondon't
• Word Up!
• The Ham Van Makes the Man
• Think Big
• Fashion Disaster
• Fort Wham-Ground

Where to Watch WordGirl

In the US, you can still watch WordGirl on the PBS Kids 24/7 channel and on some PBS stations. In Canada, the show airs on TVOKids in Ontario and Knowledge Kids in British Columbia.

Episode Guide

The show WordGirl is a fun animated series from PBS Kids that teaches about words and language. It aired from September 3, 2007, to August 7, 2015. Before the main show, there were shorter segments called The Amazing Colossal Adventures of WordGirl that started in 2006. In total, WordGirl had 130 half-hour episodes. Most episodes had two different stories, but some were full half-hour specials. This page lists all the episodes from the series!

Series overview

This table shows you a quick look at all the seasons of WordGirl, how many episodes each had, and when they first and last aired.

Shorts (2006–07)

Before the main WordGirl show, there was a series of short cartoons called The Amazing Colossal Adventures of WordGirl. These shorts started on PBS Kids Go! on November 10, 2006. They were usually two minutes long and played after Maya & Miguel, or you could watch them online. There were 20 two-minute episodes and 10 one-minute episodes.

Two minute episodes

One minute episodes

Episodes

Season 1 (2007–09)

WordGirl season 1

Season 2 (2008–10)

WordGirl season 2

Season 3 (2010–11)

WordGirl season 3

Season 4 (2011–12)

WordGirl season 4

Season 5 (2012–13)

WordGirl season 5

Season 6 (2013–14)

WordGirl season 6

Season 7 (2014–15)

WordGirl season 7

Season 8 (2015)

WordGirl season 8

Awards and Recognition

WordGirl has won many awards! It received seven Daytime Emmy nominations. It won four Emmys for "Outstanding Writing in Animation" in 2008, 2012, and 2013. It also won for "Outstanding Writing in an Animated Program" in 2015.

Here are some of the awards WordGirl has received:

• 2008:
  • Television Critics Association Award for Outstanding Achievement in Youth Programming
  • Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Writing in Animation
• 2009:
  • Learning Magazine Teacher's Choice Award for Families
  • iParenting Media Award
  • Featured at the KIDS FIRST! Film Festival
  • NY Festivals' TV Programming and Promotions award
• 2012:
  • Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Writing in Animation
• 2013:
  • Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Writing in Animation
• 2015:
  • Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Writing in an Animated Program

Images for kids

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  A robot friend