No Talking

Have you ever imagined living a life without saying a word? Talking is one of the most convenient ways to send messages to others, but how can you communicate with others when talking isn’t allowed? No Talking shows us how students at Laketon Elementary School deal with the no-talking situation for two days straight, whether they are at school or at home.

The noise that the fifth graders at Laketon Elementary school create has driven the teachers crazy for years. These noisy students have a nickname given by their teachers—the Unshushables. Dave and Lynsey are also one of the Unshushables. What’s more, they are the leaders for boys and girls respectively. One day, Dave came up with an idea of keeping quiet for two days in a row, either at school or at home, and it soon became a contest between the fifth graders, boys against girls. In this book, we can see many serious gender stereotypes, which may offend the opposite sex. Boys say they never talk as much as girls do. Girls, on the other hand, think that boys always cheat. It’s a bad phenomenon because we will be blinded with these stereotypes, which could lead us to losing the chance to learn from each other. If we take a step back, we will find people of the opposite sex have different strengths that help you broaden your horizons or enhance your abilities.

As the contest goes on, the boy-against-girl contest seems to have reorientated. It has become a tug-of-war between students and teachers. Every class is a tough challenge for both students and teachers. Students have to respond to teachers with only three words while teachers have to tolerate students’ three-word responses. Most teachers are frustrated with the ongoing situation. Unlike other teachers, Mr. Burton, adapts his teaching approach in his language class. He asks students to create a story with only three words at a time and it turned out a big success with students’ active participation. Obviously, the no-talking contest gives everyone a brand new experience. Students have to think first before they speak lest they should break the three-word limit. This way, they become more focused in class. They have to brainstorm together to meet teachers’ demand or bend their rules sometimes to survive a class. As for teachers, this contest presents a great opportunity for them to think of new ways to adapt to the new rule.

The latter part of the book centers on the right to silence. Like a boss, the principal demands that the Unshushables end the game immediately and talk as loudly as they used to. Like a lone giant, Dave solemnly fights for his right to silence. I really admire what he’s done, because fighting the authority is never an easy task. You need to have strong faith in yourself and a brave heart to endure criticism. For me, that’s a little bit difficult to have them both. With the fear of failure and humilization, most of us don’t pluck up the courage to challenge the authority. The moment Dave shows his insistence on being quiet in the face of the principal’s bullying, he becomes a great man who deserves to have his name put in history.

This story touches me from the beginning to the end. I see how these students grow and transform themselves from immature teens with cooties into an organized group with a sense of solidarity. At the end of the book, it’s no longer a contest to see which sex is superior but a contest to dare yourselves to live a different life. The book teaches me how to respect others and inspires me to embraces challenges in my life.