Domain Name Com's No Talking

No Talking

Domain Name Com's - : No Talking

- Book Review: No Talking
Working in a public school, I am around children every day. Here are two facts that I feel I can state from experience:

1. Kids like to talk

2. There is nothing that gets the youngsters going like boys vs. girls competition

In No Talking, Andrew Clements manages to merge both of these eternal truisms.

At Laketon Elementary, the 5th grade class has a reputation for embracing the spoken word - so much so that they earned the nickname "The Unshushables" from teachers. On top of all this noisiness, the boys can't stand the girls and the girls aren't all that keen on the boys.

One day Dave Packer attempts something that surely has never been done by anyone in his fifth grade class - to make it through the school day without saying a word. He fails, but his experiment leads to a challenge between the boys and the girls: Two days of school. Whichever group talks the least wins.

This book has all kinds of classroom implications, and the rivalry between boys and girls will immediately draw kids in. No Talking is an entertaining story and a quality fiction selection

Rating:

- Loads of fun
The basic plot: A couple of 5th graders decide to see if their class can go 48 hours without talking. Boys against girls. If a teacher addresses you, you may respond with the maximum of three words.

No Talking is an adorable story. It's a fun concept, and the author takes the idea and moves it along at a quick, easy pace. I loved the sweet ending. It was very much a "happy book" - one that leaves you with a smile. Highly enjoyable . . . it almost made me want to try the kids' experiment, too.

Rating:

- Principals will definitely love it!
Andrew Clements knows alot about school situations! This was brilliant! It is a must read for any school class that ever has a problem with students that talk to much! It is fantastic!

Rating:

- Who knew silence could be so fun!
No Talking is another fun and thought provoking book by Andrew Clements. The story focuses on a notoriously loud and chatty group of fifth graders, led by Dave Packer and Lynsey Burgess. The students' typical boy vs. girl mentality is intensified when an argument between Dave and Lynsey leads to a No Talking contest between the fifth grade boys and girls.

The manner in which the students go about fulfilling the no talking rule and the unexpected reactions they receive from their teachers and principal is what truly makes this book entertaining. Andrew Clements is an excellent author for school-aged children and always provides an interesting twist to the otherwise mundane. While many of us have participated in no talking contests, I promise they have never turned out like this.

As an elementary teacher, I appreciate that Clements includes topics, such as Gandhi, in a way that peaks student interest and encourages children to learn more about the subject. Children will easily identify with the characters and situations presented in No Talking but be warned, things may be a little quieter after they finish reading it.

Rating:

- Growing up a little. Quieting down a lot.
Not all Andrew Clements novels are created equal, and that's a fact. I mean, don't get me wrong. This is true of most children's authors. But sometimes I feel that with Clements, he's always readable. Even if you feel that one book of his is better than another, that doesn't mean that kids aren't going to read them all equally like mad. I maintain the paperback fiction portion of the children's room in which I work, so I've seen firsthand the levels of sheer maniacal energy that go into keeping that area stocked. Turn around for two seconds and FOOM! There go all your copies of Frindle, The Landry News, and Lunch Money. And while I've always kind of enjoyed Clements, none of his books really struck me as something I would have liked to have read when I was a kid. Then I picked up "No Talking". Oh brother, oh sister, oh me, oh my. This. Book. Is. Great. Yes, it has a little bit of learning. A teensy bit of a moral stuffed in there. But to me, this is Clements at the top of his game. Tapping into the essential rivalries that exist between boys and girls, this book is just pure fun and that's a fact. A must read for Clements fans and an enjoyable jaunt for the rest of us.

Let me tell you a little something about the fifth-graders of Laketon Elementary. The teachers there call them The Unshushables for a reason. These kids are the loudest group to cross the threshold of Laketon in years. They also happen to be a bit immature in the whole boys and girls area of things. Where other kids might be growing up at this stage and toning down the gender rivalries, this group is led by two leaders. You've Dave on the boys' side and Lynsey on the girls. But when a dare breaks out between the two as to whether or not the boys or the girls can keep from talking the most over the course of two days, neither side is prepared for the consequences. With rules firmly in place, the kids begin their contest only to find that it has inadvertently raised the ire of their normally competent principal. Now the kids will join together to face a common enemy in the quietest manner possible.

The moral of the story would make it pretty ideal for bookgroups discussions. The principal's opinion on everything is summed up nicely in Chapter 15. "These children need to learn to be quiet when it's right to be quiet, and they need to talk and participate at the right times too." This isn't a rigid stance until the kids stop talking en masse (something I'm sure educators countrywide would love to encourage) and of their own volition. Suddenly, the idea of silence as a weapon comes to mind. The principal trying to make kids talk becomes the kid-friendly equivalent of the old villainous statement, "We have way of MAKING you talk." So when authority figures tell you that you have to talk and be silent only when they say so, isn't that an untenable situation? It's worthy of further thought.

I've maintained for years that the best children's authors are the ones who can finesse different forms of writing seamlessly into a fictional narrative for the young. Clements is a perfect example of this. First of all, his writing is... I hesitate to use the word "pure" but it's just so straightforward. Accessible, amusing, and without ever feeling forced or unnatural. Then, on top of that, "No Talking" utilizes flashbacks, at the beginning of the story, beautifully. And as with Frindle or some of Clements' other works, "No Talking" boils down to kids versus adults. That's a popular topic right there. Then it adds in the boys versus girls element, which never goes out of style. Finally, it tops the whole shebang off with a contest with a set series of rules and regulations. The kids may speak in class when called upon to do so, but they can only speak three words at a time. They cannot speak at home and will use the honor system to keep track of their own foibles. Then Clements works in all the situations in which a person really needs to speak, and the book just gets more and more fun.

I was intrigued by the illustrations provided by a Mr. Mark Elliott. To my mind, illustrators of children's novels never get enough credit. Mr. Elliott's name, by rights, should appear on the front of this book. That's just not how things are done, but I wish publishers would reconsider. And Elliott in particular has a kind of classic feel to him. You go through his images and you're reminded of Paul O. Zelinsky's work on books like Dear Mr. Henshaw. The pictures here are done in graphite with clear outlines and gentle shading inside. I'm a fan of realism as it is, and this book shows that Elliott is an artist worth keeping an eye on.

You know, there are some children's books I read where writing their review requires hours, literally hours, of hair pulling and groans on my part. Where every sentence I plunk down feels forced. And then there are books like "No Talking" that are just a joy to speak (ha ha) about. I think it's safe to say that this is my favorite Andrew Clements novel, case closed. Also, with its boys vs. girls mentality, this book would pair beautifully with this year's other great kid-friendly (and fellow favorite) read, The Lemonade War. Consider these two to be the sheer-fire crowd pleasers you absolutely must stock on your library shelves.

page 3 of 4
1 2 3 4

Domain Name Registration


	Register Domain Name
	Private Domain Registration
	Domain Name Auction
	Bulk Register Domains
	Transfer Domain Name
	Bulk Transfer Domains
	Manage Domain Names
	Email Accounts

Website Creator


	Website Creator Build Your Own Website
	Website Templates
	Mobile Website Templates

Website Hosting Plans


	Hosting Plans
	Dedicated Server
	Virtual Dedicated Server
	My Server - Account Login

Secure Server Certificates


	Introduction
	Technical Documents
	Purchase Secure Server SSL Certificate

Software


	MS Office Student
	QuickBooksPro 2008
	Digital Photo Editing How To Create a Foto Album
	HTML WebPage Editors
	Top Firewalls
	Networking Software
	Internet Security
	Local Area Networks
	Security & Firewalls
	Software Downloads
	Internet Utilities
	Children's Software
	Programming

Electronics


	MP3 Players
	Camera & Photo
	Office Electronics
	Computers & Ad-On's
	Handhelds & PDA
	GPS & Navigation
	Home Automations & Security
	Compare Prices on Electronics
	Ink & Toner Finder
	Monitors & Projectors
	Internet Webcams
	Blu Ray Disc Drive

Contact Information


	Office Locations
	Customer Feedback

Domain Names Electronics Software
Manage \| Register \| Email Login

Home \| Domain Name Registration \| Software \| Electronics \| Web Certificates \| About Us \| Contact Us \| Help