The way I say it

Title:

The way I say it

Author:

Summary:

Rory still can't say his r's, but that's just the beginning of his troubles. First Rory's ex-best-friend Brent started hanging out with the mean lacrosse kids. But then, a terrible accident takes Brent out of school, and Rory struggles with how to feel. Rory and his new speech teacher put their heads together on Rory's r's (as well as a serious love of hard rock and boxing legend Muhammad Ali), but nobody seems to be able to solve the problem of Rory's complicated feelings about Brent. Brent's accident left him with a brain injury and he's struggling. Should Rory stand up for his old friend at school--even after Brent failed to do the same for him? -- Amazon.

Audience:

Ages 10+. Charlesbridge.

Grades 4-6. Charlesbridge.

Physical Description:

232 pages ; 23 cm

Subject Term:

Speech disorders -- Juvenile fiction.

Brain damage -- Juvenile fiction.

Best friends -- Juvenile fiction.

Bullying -- Juvenile fiction.

Middle schools -- Juvenile fiction.

Speech therapy -- Juvenile fiction.

Publisher:

Charlesbridge,

Publication Date:

2022

ISBN:

9781623541330

Publication Information:

Watertown, MA : Charlesbridge, 2022.

Call Number:

J TANDON

Holds: Copies:

Available:*

Item Barcode	Collection	Call Number	Status	Item Holds
33607003558023	Juvenile Fiction	TANDON	Searching... Unknown	Searching... Unavailable

Bound With These Titles

On Order

Summary

Sixth-grader Rory's story of his impossible-to-hide speech challenge and middle-school drama is perfect for fans of Sharon Draper's Out of My Mind .

Rory still can't say his r's , but that's just the beginning of his troubles. First Rory's ex-best-friend Brent started hanging out with the mean lacrosse kids. But then, a terrible accident takes Brent out of school, and Rory struggles with how to feel.

Rory and his new speech teacher put their heads together on Rory's r 's (as well as a serious love of hard rock and boxing legend Muhammad Ali), but nobody seems to be able to solve the problem of Rory's complicated feelings about Brent. Brent's accident left him with a brain injury and he's struggling. Should Rory stand up for his old friend at school--even after Brent failed to do the same for him?

Author Notes

Nancy Tandon has been a writer since fifth grade, when her school ran a program to "publish" books. She has worked as an elementary school teacher, a speech-language pathologist, and an adjunct professor of phonetics and child language development. Nancy lives in New England with her husband and two children. This is her first book.

Reviews (1)

School Library Journal Review

Gr 3--7--Navigating friendships in middle school is no easy feat, especially when those friendships are everything. For sixth grader Rory, his friendship with Brent meant the world to him. Now, his ex--best friend has decided to spend time with some of the lacrosse players instead, and Rory does not think they are very nice people at all. Then, a terrible accident leaves Brent with a brain injury, which immediately takes him out of the classroom and leaves Rory confused about his feelings. Should he be worried, mad at the world, or upset overall? Should he reach out? Besides this inner struggle, Rory is also dealing with his speaking skills; his speech teacher is trying their best to get him through it and they bond over similar interests, such as heavy rock and roll music. Readers are shown Rory's thoughts and struggles as he navigates whether to stick up for his old friend and his new serious problems, even when Brent was not there for him at times. He is also exploring a new mentorship with his speech teacher, which is changing his perspective. VERDICT A resonant book about speech challenges, the beauty of inner growth, and how close friendships are sometimes complicated and hard to define. Recommended for tweens seeking an emotional, uplifting read.--Aurora Dominguez