66. No Talking - Andrew Clements

Audio read by Keith Nobbs
Recorded Books, 2007
3 unabridged cds
3 hrs.
160 pages
Rating: 4

This ended up being a delightful story. As I first listened, I didn’t think I’d proceed, but it kept getting more and more interesting. Great premise – that an extremely talkative group of fifth graders would challenge each other (boys vs. girls) to not talk for 48 hours. They were smart enough to realize that it wouldn’t be able to work unless they could speak, in some way, to their parents and teachers, so they added a caveat – you could respond to someone as long as you used three words or less. Thank you Mahatma Ghandi (and thank you to the teacher who had these fifth graders present an oral report on India).

This experimental challenge changed the kids and even some of the teachers. Clements shows some of the kids’ thought processes, especially the two protagonists, both clever kids but real loudmouths, Dave Packer and Lynsey Burgess. Interesting concept. Cleverly put together. I’ve started reading it to my particularly talkative fourth grade. Yup, they’re extreme yackahoolas. Real loudmouths. They think out loud, they blurt out without raising their hands, they hoot, they holler, they sing, thye dance! ! ! Well, at least they’re happy…….