Speechless

by Jennifer Mook-Sang

Jelly is as surprised as anyone when he decides that he’s going to win the annual sixth grade speech contest.

Just like that, Joe Alton Miles, better known as Jelly (because his initials are J.A.M. and his best friend’s are P.B.), is faced with overcoming not only his terror of being in the spotlight, but also the wrath of smart, popular Victoria, who believes that the prize (like all prizes) is rightfully hers. At first, Jelly only cares about winning the awesome prize (a new tablet), but as Victoria escalates her campaign against him, Jelly begins to realize that it’s not only the prize that’s at stake, but also his reputation, his self-respect and the friendship he values most. Jelly must dig deep inside himself to find out if he’s strong enough to stand up to Victoria and show everyone what he’s really capable of.

Hilariously funny and just as poignant, Speechless is about finding out who your friends are, giving back, standing up to bullying and finding your own unique voice

Genres: Middle Grade, Canada, Realistic Fiction, Young Adult, Childrens, Juvenile, Young Adult Contemporary

159 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2015

About the author

Jennifer Mook-Sang was born in Guyana, South America, and moved to Canada at the age of fourteen. Since she can remember, she’s loved to read. Summers would find her curled up with humungous stacks of Enid Blytons and comic books. When she’d read those a trillion times over and knew them by heart, she’d start reading her textbooks for the coming year.

Jennifer didn't consider writing until she began reading stories to her two boys. Those books were so much fun and clever, creating one seemed like the best thing anyone could do. She took writing classes and workshops and read lots about writing. She wrote bad stuff and not-so-bad stuff until she had written a whole book about a boy who really didn’t want to give a speech.

That book SPEECHLESS was published by Scholastic in 2015, and nominated for many awards. Jennifer has enjoyed visiting numerous schools and libraries to talk to students about the joys of reading, writing, and procrastination. She is a member of the Canadian Children’s Book Centre and The Writers’ Union of Canada, and eligible for subsidies for school and library appearances.

Jennifer lives in Burlington, Ontario with her husband. When she isn’t writing, Jennifer likes to read recipe books and cook things like biryani, cassava pone, and guacamole. She can also twist a mean balloon animal.

Reviews

[Bilal Y. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sürükleyici, heyecan katsayısı giderek artan, sürprizlerle dolu bir çocuk romanı. 10'dan 100'e kadar her yaştan çocuğa hitap edebilecek bir hikaye. Resimsiz olsa da daha küçük yaştaki çocuklar da okuyabilir, çünkü onların da duygu dünyasına uygun, eğer okumayı seviyorlarsa. Romanı çocuk kalmış biri yazmış olacak ki çocukların dünyasını bu derece gerçekçi bakmış; onlarca yıl yaşamasına rağmen yapmış bunu. Benim gibi büyümeyi red eden biri için de çocuk kitapları okumak büyük bir zevk. Bilmiyorum belki de eğitimin onlayn çağında, yılbaşı yaklaşırken kendimi çocuklara tablet dağıtan bir noel baba gibi hissetiğim bir anda geldiği için sevmişimdir kitabı. İçeriğe kısaca bir göz atsak:

Tableti kapmak için büyük bir savaşım. Bir yandan ödül avcısı Victoria, diğer yandan onu tahtından indirmeye çalışan Jelly.  Konuşacaklar. Konuşma yarışması. Ama hazırlanmaları gerekir. Seçilen konu da önemli. Araştırma yapmak zorundalar, hikaye anlatmayacaklar çünkü. Bir tür münazara da denilebilir.

Hikaye içinde farkındalık yaratacak bir çok şey var. Başarıya şartlanmış yetişkinlere mesajlarla dolu. Henry'nin sırrı bu eğlenceli romanda insanın içini cız ettiren bir durum. Önyargılar da söz konusu. Misal ben de bilgisayar oyunların külliyen zararlı olduğuna inanan biriydim. O kadar da değilmiş. Yardım demeyelim, yiyeceklerin ve tüketim malzemelerinin paylaşıldığı bir tür ortak yaşamın (kavramlaştırıp kimseyi ürkütmeyelim) uygulanmasının,  çocuğun dünyasında daha mümkün olduğuna şahit oluyoruz. Darısı yetişkinlerin başına...

[Neli Krasimirova · Rating 5 out of 5]

Çok sade ve doğal (iyi anlamda) yazılmış. Didaktik kaygı taşımayan, ortalama bir ortaokul çocuğunun başına gelebilecek akışta bir metin olmuş. Küçük yeğenimle onun okul ve okuldışı hayatı hakkında sohbet ediyor gibi okudum. Kitap okumayı sevdirecek harika bir kitap. Böyle eserleri Türkçe’ye kazandırdıkları için Uyurgezer Ailesi’ne teşekkürü borç bilirim.
*
PS: Bu kitabı ortaokul seviyesi çocuklara (ya da tüm çocuk ruhlara) hediye edebilirsiniz. :)

[Dana · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a great book! Jelly (aka Joseph Alton Miles) it's enticed by the grand prize in his school's annual speech competition. And he's determined to beat the school brain ( and the school bully) Victoria. Along with his focus on the speech competition, he is also dragged into volunteering at the local food bank, which turns into a job of sorts as he helps the owner into the 21st century and sets up a computer program to help him keep track of the families that come into the food bank. Great read! Will definitely be reading this one with next year's class!

[Dianne Matich · Rating 5 out of 5]

An easy read and laugh-out-loud book that every middle grader will love. Jelly-Joe is a wonderfully funny and irresistible sixth grader who wants to win the speech contest. Page after page, hurdle after hurdle, Joe is an underdog the reader hopes will win. The secondary characters are full and well-developed from his best friend Parker and Sam (Parker's sister) to the antagonist, Victoria. The topics of bullying, friendships, food banks, and finding one-self at this age are handled so well; they are never didactic. The ending is perfect!

[Wendy J. Whittingham · Rating 5 out of 5]

Speechless is a damn good story about friendship and determination . And its hilariously funny .... well done Jennifer Mook Sang!

[Gina Grant · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book starts out with a clever premise and continues to be clever throughout. It's aimed for younger kids (Middle Grade) and the voices are perfect for that age group without talking down to them in any way.

I found the book witty, insightful and charming. It dealt with real world issues with just the right measure of seriousness and humor. Kids will be thrilled with this book, as was I.

I'm glad I bought hard copy. I just love the cover and the interior layout. I may want to read it again.

[Ella A · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is about a boy in middle school named Joe Alton Miles, but better known as Jelly because his initials are J.A.M which is kind of funny because his best friends initials are P.B. Every year the school has a tradition of doing speech competition and Jelly never really cares because he never has a chance to win against Victoria the know it all of the school and there was no prize so really it was just pointless to him. This year he found out that there was a prize and it was brand new tablet computer and he was determined to win. He finds out that he has a chance to win the tablet computer when it turns out it was a tie between him and a few other contestants especially Victoria! He struggles to make a bran new speech while given a very important job at the food bank that he works at with his friend P.B and his family. Will he win I don’t know you’re just gonna have to read it for yourself.


I really enjoyed this book. The author added so much detail it felt like you were there with Jelly, for example when he was on stage presenting his speech. I really liked it that the author added mystery into her book like not telling us what his topic was about in his speeches until he presented them or not telling who the winner is immediately, this made you not wanna stop reading and get you hooked on the book. I loved how the book had lots of humour and I think everyone would get a laugh out of it. This book was very easy to understand and made it a lot easier for me to connect to it. I suggest this book to everyone because I really enjoyed it and I know you will too. Great job Jennifer Mook-Sang on your book.

[Matthew Gardner · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is about me. A++

[Lifespicer Tapps · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story. A short and easy read,. but I couldn't put it down. I finished it in a day!

[Juliya · Rating 3 out of 5]

This review includes a little spoilers
I currently finished reading the book Speechless by Jennifer Mook-Sang. This was a book that might really leave you speechless, it includes a little drama but this book is mostly realistic fiction. Jelly is a boy whose name came from his initials J.A.M. Which is very unusual considering the fact that his friends initials are P.B. At Jelly's school there is an event that is a kind of tradition. Each year there is a speech competition. No one really likes this because they think that there is no purpose in doing this speech competition if it takes so long to make a speech and there is no prize. But this year it is extra special, the person who wins will get a tablet computer. From the first moment Jelly found out about it he was determined to win. Jelly would do anything to beat Victoria and win the special prize.
One of my favorite things about this book was that it had a really easy to understand plot that was perfect for a silver birch book. I felt that this book did not have enough big and fascinating events. For example I would want to some kind of big tragedy to happen, not just the fact that Jelly got 2nd and not 1st place but maybe a horrible event. Another thing I also enjoyed was that the author did not give away what Jelly's speech was about until the day when he was presenting it. This made the book more mysterious and interesting to read for me. A big thing that I though was great was that Jennifer put in a minor story dealing with bullying. This is great because it could teach people how to stand up to bullies which exist in all schools.
I, myself, did enjoy reading this book and I would say that my rating is about 3 stars. I would only give it 3 stars because it did not hook me. I just didn't get me hooked. The character was easy to connect to, which is a plus. But, it was not as interesting as I would have expected it to be. I would recommend this book to grades 4-y6, I think that this would just not interest anyone above that age.
Over all, this was an interesting book to read and I think that people in grades 4-6 would really like to read this book. Just facing your fears could be the greatest prize ever! That is what I got from Jelly's unusual adventure to getting on top of the great speech competition.

[Karen Barrow · Rating 4 out of 5]

Speechless is a beautifully written story full of heart and humor, about 11 year Jelly-Joe who must face off against the school’s queen bee, Victoria, in a speech competition. At stake? A tablet computer with no less than a Bluetooth keyboard and a gaming controller! But Speechless is not merely about winning a competition. The author, Jennifer Mook-Sang, has adeptly managed to pack a whole lot of messaging into a compact package. Themes explored include anti-bulling, giving back to your community, literacy and friendship. A funny, wonderful debut novel with many heartwarming moments that will appeal to all ages.

[Sylvia McNicoll · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jelly Miles is a mild mannered hero who will make you laugh and cheer as he competes with the smartest girl in the school at the subject he is worst at: public speaking. That rare book with a male protagonist that isn't about sports or war! Can't wait to read more by this debut author Jennifer Mook-Sang and only hope she writes more about Jelly!

[Allison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Borrowed this from the elementary school library where I worked out of the Silver Birch Awards box. It's insanely readable and a really great story. The bully is more of a nuanced character than is sometimes the case, the relationships are very realistic and I was just as incandescent with rage at the perceived injustices as I would have been in grade six. Loved it.

[Brandi Kelsie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute book. The story line was pretty typical for a junior novel and I liked that the book was based around a male character. It's a nice easy read for the low level high interest readers in the classroom. I had borrowed it from a grade 6 classroom library at the school I teach at...it's a perfect fit for that age group.

[Jayme · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super short fun read - But that's because it was a Junior novel.
I enjoy reading Willow nominees and I can definitely see why this one is on the list.
I think this would be a great read aloud or novel study for Middle Years students, as bullying tends to be an issue that needs to be addressed.

[Crazy Librarian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Canadian writer Jennifer Mook-Sang’s humorous debut novel Speechless was short-listed for the Silver Birch award; it was also commended for the 2017 TD Summer Reading Club, the Canadian Children's Book Centre’s 2016 Best Books for Kids and Teens, and CBC’s 2015 Best Books of the Year. Jennifer Mook-Sang was also commended to CBC’s 2016 list of Writers to Watch.

In Speechless, Jelly Miles, an introverted Junior-level student who’d rather be trouble-shooting computers or playing video games, enters a speech competition in an attempt to win a BRAND NEW!!! video game system. His nemesis is Victoria, a student who is good at everything, and a known bully. Victoria is determined to win the competition, not because she wants the video game system, but because she likes to win.

Throughout the story Jelly struggles with ups and downs of life with family and friends, Victoria’s bullying, and generally coming up with ideas for his speech (he’d rather be updating his website); but Jelly is determined to write a speech that will “kick Victoria’s speech’s butt.”

There is a significant subplot around a local foodbank and the people involved in it. This is done in a respectful light that honours individuality and diversity. Speechless is a heartfelt, humorous novel, with a good cast of characters in terms of complexity; and underscores the importance of supportive friendship, and remaining true to one self.

For educators, themes include -- PERSERVERANCE, BULLYING, TAKING PERSEPECTIVES OF OTHERS, SIGNIFICANT SUBPLOT RELATED TO FOODBANKS AND THE PEOPLE WHO USE THEM, AND SERVICE TO OTHERS

For parents and caregivers -- this is a FUN read, and kids love it. 'nuf said;)

[Trey Culbertson]

A brief summary of the book SPEECHLESS, PB seems to be the kid everyone likes but only hangs out with a certain set of people outside of school. He is the kid who doesn't open up much but if he does you become his closest friend. He enjoys playing video games and being with his best friend. The main idea of this book is when Pb has to write a speech for a class to gain extra credit. Throughout the book he finds his favorite hobbies and passions that he would actually enjoy talking about in his speech. Curious to find out what he picks and how good his speech is? Check this excellent book out!
One thing I would like to talk about is Pb’s best friend. He is always there for him and it seems like the two have a brotherlike connection. They hang out almost on a daily basis and rarely get into much arguments outside of playing video games. He was a lot of help to Pb when he was stressing out about writing his speech and even giving him confidence before he gave the big speech.
Another thing I'd like to talk about is the parenting in the book, I loved how his parents were a big part of the book, and really showed how his life was and how he was raised. When he needed help he went to his father for advice. And his mother for his “girl problem” Which you guys are going to enjoy reading about.
All in all, Speechless was an excellent read and I highly recommend you people give it a read, although it's a slow start, It gets really interesting once you get into it. You almost feel as if you become one of Pb’s friends, very interesting!

[Maria Antonia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Basic Plot: An avid video-gamer, Jelly really wants to win his very own video game unit… And all he has to do is write the award-winning speech. But he’s got some tough competition from a classmate who doesn’t care about video games, but wants to win by any means possible.

My Thoughts: Jelly was a fun and likeable character. I like how he gets involved in the food bank and this becomes key to the speech-part of the plot (later on in the book). At times I thought Victoria a little over-the-top in her meanness, but the quick scene at the end with her parents was telling. A fun book about that dreaded time in school… giving speeches! (But, as an adult, I am forever grateful that I was forced to give those speeches. Because learning the speak in front of an audience is actually a life skill I use.) Bonus: I LOVE the cover of this book!

This review was originally published at my blog.

[Mackenzie L, 5 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Speechless by Jennifer Mook-Sang is a book about a boy named Joseph but everybody calls him Jelly. This story is about a boy who loves video games and wants to play them as much as possible. When a spectacular prize is going to be a award for a speech contest Jelly is ready to write the best speech. But when Victoria his enemy tries to sabotage him he has to decide what is most important. I liked this book because it had lessons about bullying, and how to find your true friends. This book was a good book because it didn't drag on and didn't leave any empty spaces that should have been filled. This book had very good detail like when they introduced the guy who worked at the can food place. My connection to this book is that I have had friends ignore me in the past so I kind of felt like Jelly. The theme that I got from this book is that we should stick up for others.

[Marian · Rating 4 out of 5]

I chose this novel as the author will be one of three speakers at an upcoming course on author tips on writing for kids through the Burlington Public Library and I was interested in reading this popular book suited for middle school youth. It explores the quest of the main character, "Jelly" who enters a sixth grade speech contest hoping to beat the annoyingly entitled and popular, Victoria, for the grand prize of a computer tablet. Along the way, the story delves into relationships, bullying, middle school issues, and there is even a social justice thread concerning the main character's involvement at a food bank. I am very impressed by the writing and how the author captures the feelings of that age group so well, bringing the reader back to those years. A terrific book.

[Miss B · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't know why this book took me so long to read. Life, I suppose. It's a terrific little book, with short chapters, and a compelling storyline. The speech competition really speaks to me because the school I work at has one every spring for students in grades 4-6. I loved the inclusion of the food bank angle though and I think it's a cause that will be easy for students to connect with. And then there's the hint of romance, add in the issue of bullying, and the book is written with humour. I think it will appeal to so many different students. Bonus points for being Canadian. :)

[Adyson H · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was about a boy in school and there is a completion to see who can write the better speech. When JB aka Jelly Bean found out he was going against the super popular girl in the entire school he starts to panic. They announced the winner and JB didn’t win the popular girl won. I liked the book because I like the funny names that were given to the characters like JB and JPB like I don’t know how they forums the names. If you like books that has some competition and funny names and a little bit of action I recommend this book thank you

[Russell Hirsch · Rating 5 out of 5]

A quick, delightful, and really quite touching read! As a speech teacher, I could definitely appreciate the nerves and excitement that Jelly and his friends go through as they navigate their speech competition. Mook-Sang does a really nice job blending together the public speaking plot with the theme of speaking out against bullying. And though the characters' may not love their Robin Hood-inspired school mascots, it's great to see them helping the needy in their community as they come to understand the function of the food bank.

[Joan Almond · Rating 5 out of 5]

Have you ever read a book you didn't want to end, but you couldn't put down? That was me on Saturday night, as I devoured Jennifer Mook-Sang's, Middle Grade novel 'Speechless.’ (published by Scholastic) . Like all well-conceived Children's writing it crosses the limits of age. It's current and 'tech savvy!’Jennifer manages with humour , and good writing to put a fresh twist on bullying. Hungry for more, read it for yourself and let 'Jelly' tell you his story.

[Phoenix_reader8 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick, easy but fantastic read I really enjoyed the concept. I think there are some really great points and tips in that book. It showed the basic life of a kid in school during challenging times. It's not one of my favorite books but it still was very enjoyable for me and I don't think anyone can make it better.

[CaramelPuddingReader · Rating 4 out of 5]

Honestly, I read this a long time ago. Feels like a far away dream. But I read this in around 4th or 5th grade. It was really good, I remember how interesting it was and wanting to find out what was next. Taught me some crucial lessons as well. It's very vague memory now, but I totally recommend reading this if you are a younger audience.

[Debbie Ohi · Rating 5 out of 5]

SUCH a great story! As someone who used to be TERRIFIED of public speaking, I was rooting especially hard for Jelly Miles. Full of heart, humour and believable characters, SPEECHLESS would make an excellent read for any young person looking for their own voice.

[Bob Large · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book for Div II and Jr. High. Easy read. About a boy in school dealing with bullying and self-confidence. Addresses both topics in a way that the reader will understand. Encouraging for those getting bullied.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book because my daughter was reading it for her middle grades book club. What a great story! I identified with the characters and got sucked into the story. We'll be looking for more books from this author!

[Junieb · Rating 4 out of 5]

My daughter brought this one home . . . and we all really liked it! Speeches don't seem to be a 'thing' anymore but I could relate back to when I was in school when we had to do . . . SPEECHES! Blah! Might have been more fun if the prize was an ipad!