Something to Say audiobook

Richie’s Picks: SOMETHING TO SAY by Lisa Moore Ramée, HarperCollins/Balzer + Bray, July 2020, 384p., ISBN: 978-0-06-283671-7 “Here’s the big not-so-secret: Kids know what is going on. They also have the capacity to be deeply upset by it. What we might call ‘social justice’ boils down to what kids would call ‘fairness.’ As any parent knows, kids are keenly aware of who gets more cookies or less praise; studies tell us those as young as 15 months understand equitable treatment. Social issues like racism, sexism and classism are complex, but underlying them are simple concepts that kids can relate to and be moved by.”-- Caroline Paul, “Activism isn’t just for adults and teens. We need to teach younger kids to be activists, too.” ideas.ted.com (7/2/18)“With a lot of blacks, there's quite a bit of resentment along with their dissent, and possibly rightfully so. But we can't all of a sudden get down on our knees and turn everything over to the leadership of the blacks. I believe in white supremacy until the blacks are educated to a point of responsibility. I don't believe in giving authority and positions of leadership and judgment to irresponsible people.”-- actor John Wayne, the Playboy interview (1971)“At that time, not only were schools segregated but also other public places as well, such as pools, parks, and movie theaters. Some businesses even had signs that read, ‘NO DOGS OR MEXICANS ALLOWED.’”-- from the picturebook, SEPARATE IS NEVER EQUAL: SYLVIA MENDEZ & HER FAMILY’S FIGHT FOR DESEGREGATION by Duncan Tonatiuh, Abrams, 2014“I hold my phone out and take a selfie. My first one. I get the vest I made out of the closet and put it on, then sling my clock bag over my shoulder and take some more acting like I’m cool like Astrid and that’s when my door opens.‘Dude,’ Malcolm says. ‘You are seriously tripping.’Right behind Malcolm is Aubrey.No way. No way is this flaming-hot-Cheeto-hair boy up here in my room.‘What are you doing here?’ I ask, letting my bag slide off my shoulder and onto the floor. ‘How do you know where I live?’Aubrey’s so fair, it’s easy to see the blush exploding all over his face like a bucket of red paint got tipped over his head. It makes his freckles stand out even more. ‘I sort of...followed you?’ He glances over at Malcolm and I’m sure Aubrey’s thinking that following a girl home is at the top of things her big brother might beat him up for.”Meet eleven-year-olds Jenae and Aubrey, the duo who have something to say in this easy-to-love tale of friendship and activism. Jenae is a quiet black girl who does her best to stay under the radar. But from the first day of junior high, she somehow attracts the attention of the ever-smiling, enthusiastic, Aubrey. He’s a new kid in town and a fellow aficionado of Jenae’s favorite YouTube show, Astrid Dane. Also, since the beginning of the school year, there has been a community debate over changing the name of their school from John Wayne Junior High to Sylvia Mendez Junior High. Aubrey and Jenae will end up learning a lot about these two historical figures when they pair up and choose the topic of the proposed school name change for an English class debate assignment. The only problem is that Jenae hates public speaking. She has no intention of standing up in front of the class. She comes up with a scheme to ditch school that day by deceiving both of her divorced parents, despite knowing that it will betray Aubrey, her one friend.Over the years, the composition of the southern California community that named the school after John Wayne has changed. So has the community’s tolerance for white supremacists. Jenae’s grandfather has told her how their southern California community was once all white, but when a black movie star moved in, white flight gave him the opportunity to purchase the spiffy old mansion that Jenae and her mom share with him.Jenae’s brother had been away at college until a serious knee injury ended his basketball career. Now, after surgery, Malcolm is convalescing at home, supposedly figuring out an alternate plan. When their grandfather Gee suffers a severe stroke and stops speaking, Jenae rises to the occasion, devising ways to help him begin to recover. It’s a challenge, but the pair figure out some workable communication strategies.Jenae and Aubrey are wonderful characters. It’s delightful to see them learning to express their needs to one another.Given current events, the activist-driven community debate over the name of the school will make this a perfectly timed read for the summer or the beginning of the new school year.Richie Partington, MLISRichie's Picks http://richiespicks.pbworks.comhttps://www.facebook.com/richiespicks/[email protected]

For such a short middle grade novel, this one addressed several deep topics. Eleven-year-old Jenae thinks she possesses the power to do things to others without even touching them. She is certain she’s the reason her brother is injured, the reason her grandfather is ill, and she’s even sure her powers will allow her to manipulate her teacher into not giving an assignment she hates. But ultimately, the story isn’t really about a magical gift at all. It’s a story of family love and devotion, a story of fear and vulnerability, and a story that encourages the reader to look at all sides of an issue before holding so tightly to only one opinion. I adore Jenae’s friend, Aubrey. He’s this sweet, devoted, and yet awkward new kid who has latched onto Jenae. He is doing everything in his power to be kind, supportive, and inclusive. But Jenae won’t have it. Many young readers will identify with her fear of being truly seen — and the fear of rejection. And personally, as a performer who has suffered from stage fright more times than I care to admit, Lisa Moore Ramée nailed the emotional and physical exhaustion of confronting those horrific situations. My thanks to Libro.fm for providing me this audiobook so that I could review it on my blog and on Goodreads.For more children's literature, middle grade literature, and YA literature reviews, feel free to visit my personal blog at The Miller Memo!

I thought this was a great middle-grade novel that I still fully enjoyed as an adult. The main character really spoke to me, as another person who feels like they might *literally* die if forced to speak in front of a group, and it has lots of other timely themes to it today that I think will resonate with kids.

4.5 stars

** spoiler alert ** I enjoyed this book a lot, they gave a lot of the characters depth and no part of the book I really got bored during. Decided to read it to try something new and be able to say that I’ve recently read something.I think that since the redheaded boy ( I forgot his name), really added to the story especially since he had cancer and he was a fun character to explore. There was more added to the book, in my opinion, when he acted upset. So out of character for him and I think that really added to the story….

Charming Characters and Compelling Plot--Highly Recommend!SOMETHING TO SAY by Lisa Moore Ramée is such a lovely multi-generational story with a focus on family and friends. Eleven-year-old Jenae may be a loner by choice, but new kid Aubrey refuses to get that message. Nothing's going to stop him from being her friend. And she can't help but be drawn to his outgoing and upbeat personality. I'm so smitten with Aubrey. He's such a genuine, caring human. And Jenae is so earnest and worried--over her brother, her grandfather, her school. They are two of my favorite characters ever. Books by Ramée are like that. Her characters are real and delightful. It makes me happy to settle into whatever world she decides to create for her readers. SOMETHING TO SAY really does have something to say, about being a good friend family member, about overcoming fears, and about coping with bad things.I'm quite sure that other readers will fall in love with this novel. I already was a fan of Ramée's. Her debut novel, A GOOD KIND OF TROUBLE, was a triumph with fabulous characters and an important topic (Black Lives Matter). Now, in SOMETHING TO SAY, I've found a whole new cast of characters to fall in love with. Can't wait for her next book!

So far, I've loved everything written by Lisa Moore Ramee. She really writes in a way that seems to understand middle grade kids who are just starting to get comfortable in their skin and she paints characters that are awesome but humanly flawed. The adults around them aren't always easy, but they're not fake either.And.... I just really enjoyed it and could see this building empathy within kids who don't necessarily struggle with feeling weird or left out or crippling anxiety.

A really lovely story about friendship

loved this one! grades 3+

I listened to this middle grade novel on CD in my car over several months of infrequent commuting, and I came to really love Jenae’s “voice” as she discovered that she did have something to say. A phrase from the book description is a perfect summary of the story: “finding your voice - and finding your people.”

Covers a lot of ground, but all works well together. Aging grandparent, aelfesreem, friendship, fitting in to middle school , racism, school name change.

Jenae goes through life being invisible. It’s her own superpower, just like her favorite show, Astrid Dane. At school she is entirely ignored, and she prefers it that way. Her family is different, though with her mother always rushing, her brother’s injury and her grandfather’s health problems, Jenae can end up invisible there too. So it’s very strange when the new boy at school notices Jenae immediately. Aubrey is also different from the other kids. He too loves Astrid Dane. But Jenae isn’t looking for a friend at all. She keeps pushing Aubrey away, but Aubrey just keeps coming back. Soon Jenae realizes that she has found a friend. It’s too bad that circumstances are creating a time when she will have to ruin their friendship to avoid having to do the thing she fears most, giving a speech in front of a crowd.There is so much to love in this book. The warm family that Jenae comes from gives the book a wonderful heartbeat, including a brother who won’t really talk to her after his accident and his return home from college. Her grandfather is full of advice, pushing Jenae to face her fears head on. Jenae blames herself for much of what happens in her family, including her brother’s accident. She deeply believes that she can think strong thoughts and make things happen.Still, that’s not true when it comes to Aubrey, a new friend who brings lots of mixed feelings for Jenae. Jenae with her unique view of the world, her ability to be alone and not lonely, and her independence is also full of fears at times. She’s marvelously complex, geeky and individual. Aubrey is much the same, yet where Jenae is quiet, Aubrey always has something to say.Full of fascinating characters, this book is about finding your voice, standing up and insisting on being heard. Appropriate for ages 9-12.

If you liked A Good Kind of Trouble all I can tell you is Something to Say is better. Honest. Maybe because the fear of public speaking is SO common, or maybe because Aubrey--the boy who so badly wants to be Jenae's friend is even more likeable than Bernard from AGKOT. Maybe it's because it was so much fun to write. Or because it contains art. Jenae is a girl who longs to go unnoticed--especially by her mother who never seems to like what she sees when she looks at Jenae. Jenae is certain she is the cause of her brother's basketball injury, and even worse things, so she's not anxious to get close to anyone, and especially not an attention seeker like Aubrey. But somehow they do become friends. And now that Jenae has her very first friend, will she risk that in order to avoid giving a speech in front of her class? I so hope you like this book as much as I do!