Speechless.

Christina Pike is a member of the Evaluation Division, Department of
Education, Government of Newfoundland and Labrador.

Speechless by Valerie Sherrard chronicles Griffin Maxwell’s attempt to avoiding speaking in front of his class. He takes a vow of silence, pledging not to speak until something is done about the cause he has attached himself to. That cause—the plight of children forced to become soldiers in wars around the world—is selected virtually at random. But what started as simply a way of avoiding embarrassment quickly spins out of control as everyone wants to know what Griffin is planning. Things are further complicated when Griffin actually tries to speak, only to discover that he cannot. Worried that he will never speak again, Griffin’s conscience kicks in and he finds himself becoming more and more drawn to his cause.

Sherrard takes a subject that her readers have no trouble relating to and intertwines this with the cause of children forced to fight in war. She shows that even an unlikely hero can rise to the occasion and make a difference. By doing this, Sherrard forces her readers to question their own actions—or in many cases, inaction—against injustices. Highly recommended.