No Talking

 Review

Common Sense Media says

Ear-to-ear-grinningly delightful school story.
greenON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
yellowPAUSE: Know your child; some content
may not be right for some kids.
redOFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
not for kidsNOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age.

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Quality
 
Sometimes media can be age appropriate but a real waste of time. Our star rating assesses the media's overall quality.

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Parents say

Kids say

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that there is nothing to be concerned about here, and lots to cheer.

  • It's a story that even reluctant readers can love about good-hearted
    children and adults who grow in compassion and understanding.
  • Positive, compassionate characters.
  • Not applicable.
  • Not applicable.

What's the story?

Dave's fifth grade class is called "The Unshushables" by their teachers because of their constant talking. His grade is also unusually immature when it comes to boys and girls getting along with each other.

When Dave reads that Gandhi didn't talk for one day each week, he is intrigued and decides to try it out himself. But he only makes it until lunch before getting into an argument with Lynsey, the leader of the girls, and they end up making a bet: two days of no talking, boys against girls. Whichever side talks less, wins. Not talking, though, is harder than it seems, and has all sorts of unintended consequences -- including a confrontation with the principal, who has been trying to get them to stop talking for years.


Is it any good?

 

OK, let's just state it baldly: Author Andrew Clements is a genius. Like this one, his books are short, easy to read, and ear-to-ear-grinningly delightful. They have no villains, sex, violence, drugs, or off-color language or humor. And they are thought-provoking, funny, often moving, deeply wise, and diamond-sharp in their clarity and understanding of the world of middle-grade children.

Clements' classic is Frindle, but NO TALKING is up to that standard. He packs enough intellectual and emotional depth to keep avid readers thinking and discussing, and his straightforward, conversational style will appeal to reluctant readers. The content will keep discussion groups hopping, while the fluid joy of the story keeps individual readers and listeners grinning with pleasure.


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What families can talk about

  • Families can talk about silence and civil disobedience.

  • Why does the silence seem so powerful?

  • How does it change everyone's
    perceptions?

  • What do you think of the standoff between Dave and the
    principal?


This review was written by Matt Berman
Kid, 13 years old
October 12, 2009
 
THE UNSHUSABLES
THIS BOOK IS PERFECT FOR ME I LOVE HIS BOOKS THEY ARE VERY FUNNNNNYYYYY

Flag as inappropriate 
Kid, 11 years old
August 23, 2011
 
No Talking

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Teen, 14 years old
April 10, 2010
 
Perfect book for kids ages 9-13
It was a great book and I will suggest it to any kid that is 9 or older.

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Teen, 14 years old
September 13, 2009
 
Perfect for any age, old or young!
Perfect for any age, old or young! Funny and cute!

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Adult
December 17, 2008
 
no talking

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Teen, 14 years old
August 29, 2010
 
Good for everyone!
Good book!

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Parent of 6, 10, and 12 year old
August 3, 2009
 

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Parent of 3, 7, and 9 year old
January 29, 2011
 
my daughter liked it; she read it in one (long) sitting.

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Kid, 13 years old
April 18, 2011
 
My opinion about this wonderful story!
Love it because it is just really fun to read, and you would always want to keep reading so you could know what was going to happen next!

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Parent of 9 year old
March 15, 2011
 
Perfect for everyone.
Its amazing.

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This review was written by Matt Berman
Author:Andrew Clements
Illustrator:Mark Elliott
Book type:Fiction
Genre:School
Publisher:Simon & Schuster
Publication date:June 1, 2007
Number of pages:146
Hardcover price:$15.99
Publisher's recommended age(s):8 - 12
Read aloud:8
Read alone:9

This review was written by Matt Berman
 

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About our rating system
ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids.
OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
Learning ratings
BEST: Really engaging, great learning approach.
GOOD: Pretty engaging, good learning approach.
FAIR: Somewhat engaging, OK learning approach.
NOT FOR LEARNING: Not recommended for learning.

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