In the book No Talking by Andrew Clements, the boys and girls of Laketon Elementary’s Fifth Grade class do not get along. Though they will deny it, it would be correct to say that one of the rare things they have in common is their volume. Laketon Elementary has been through a lot of kids, not one of them has been as disorderly and chaotic as these fifth graders are.
One day, Dave Packer (one of the loudmouths of Laketon who is known for speaking out) stumbles upon an idea that is sure to change the course of Laketon Elementary history. This idea keeps him quiet all lunch until he insults one of the girls who can’t keep her mouth shut, taunting her about how much she talks. Lynsey Burgess scoffs away his insult and challenges him to a girl versus boy battle. Which team can say the least words in the next two days?
The rules were set.
- You can only say three words maximum to a teacher or parent.
- If you talk at home you must be honest about it.
- The winning team gets to sharpie a huge black L onto the losers forehead.
At first the teachers were thrilled after going so long without peace and quiet, then it started to interfere with schoolwork and studies. The principal starts to get complaints from teachers about students not doing oral presentations and not answering problems in class. So she puts her foot down and orders Dave to stop this foolishness. He doesn’t.
Read more about the book here: No Talking
This is one of the best books written by Andrew Clements, teaching children that it’s okay to talk, but sometimes you need to listen for a bit, and that it doesn’t matter who wins or loses. No matter how cheesy these morals sound this book is far from cheesy, with obstacles around every corner and a witty comment to go with it. No Talking is a funny story that I definitely recommend.
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