No Talking by Andrew Clements | Teen Ink

No Talking by Andrew Clements

March 6, 2012
By kyrstalkris BRONZE, San Gabriel, California
kyrstalkris BRONZE, San Gabriel, California
1 article 0 photos 0 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Anything's possible."


If only the subtle sound of a leaky faucet or the chirps of a bird filled the world – nothing else, would you be able to cope? Moreover, can you be amongst those silent people? It might take little effort for some, but it can cause tremendous problems for others. No Talking by Andrew Clements, one of my favorite books, challenges just that with a little, fun spin.
“Okay, here’s the deal: a whole day of no talking at school. Not in class, not in the halls, not on the playground, nowhere. No talking at all. And it’s a contest – boys against girls. Whichever side talks less, wins.” [pg. 22] This book not only faces the constant elementary competition between boys and girls, but presents a struggle like no other. Chitty-chatty Laketon 5th graders, even nicknamed Unshushables by the teachers, encounters day-to-day activities under a silent tone. Reading this book makes you even yearn to try it!
No Talking doesn’t just have an engaging plot, it has captivating writing quality. The author entices you into this whole other world where you can feel the tension as it grows, or convert your emotions to shock to angry to happy to laughing in a matter of a few seconds. When you read Andrew Clements’ writing, you feel like you’re a part of it, or even watching the movie, anywhere but reading the book. And as much as I love to read, I want to feel like I’m in the world more than just reading words on a paper. Luckily, that’s what Andrew Clements does so easily.
An alluring plot with even better context isn’t the only reasons to be picking up this book at the library. The end provides a twist with a certain loud meltdown from a character. And following soon after: the vaporization of bitterness between the two leading pair, Dave and Lynsey. Lynsey’s notion – that you should read to find out – leaves you with a moral: at the end of the day, boys and girls are still people, they’re still alike. There is no exception to not reading No Talking.


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