No Talking by Andrew Clements

Two whole days without talking--at school and at home--do you think you could do it?  Only answering questions with a maximum of 3 words?  In No Talking by Andrew Clements, Dave comes up with this idea after reading that Mahatma Gandhi did not speak at all one day each week.  Gandhi believed this was a way “to bring order to his mind.” Dave’s idea turns into a contest between the talky boys and girls in three fifth grade classes, known by the teachers as “The Unshushables.”  The principal, teachers, and parents all react to the silence in different, surprising ways.  This book is about language and thought…and the power of words. After reading it, you might choose your words more carefully.

Book reviewed by Mary Lou H., Youth Services Library Assistant