✨The Way I Say It

The Way I Say It (2022)

By Nancy Tandon

4Rbooks                                           5/6                   grades          6-8

Amazon                                             4.7/5              grade level   5-6

Goodreads                                      4.43/5          

Common Sense Media              not yet reviewed

224 pages

Synopsis

            It’s the first day of sixth grade.  Rory is looking forward to seeing old friends and maybe making new ones, but he is also worried.  He still hasn’t fixed his speech impediment. R’s become W’s when he talks, not good when your name is Rory. He has been regularly teased and his former best friend, Brent, has joined the wrestling team. Danny, also on the wrestling team, goes out of his way to make Rory’s life miserable as Brent watches on.

            Rory does have good friends, Tyson, Jett, Melanie, Asha, and Jenna.  He also has a new speech teacher, Mr. Simms, who is unconventional but proves to be the teacher that Rory needs.  They bond over hard rock music and Muhammed Ali.  Progress is slow, but Rory begins to understand how to control his tongue and say the r sound.

            The school is upended when Brent is involved in a bicycle accident with a car. He suffers a brain injury and is out of school for months while he recovers in the hospital, rehab center, and at home.  When he finally comes back to school, he is different and is struggling to regain his former life. An end of the year project brings Rory and Brent back together, not something that neither one is excited about at first. They will have to put aside past problems and present circumstances to ace their project and finish 6^th grade successfully.

Parental Guidelines:    medium

Rory has a speech impediment.  It’s hard for him to say the r sound, tough when your name is Rory.

Rory is teased by a bully and his friends.

Rory’s former best friend, Brent, has become part of that group and their friendship has been broken.

Brent is involved in a bike vs. car accident and suffers a brain injury.  The scenes of him in the hospital, in rehab, and melting down upon returning to school are emotionally difficult and challenging.

There is a fight between Brent, Rory, and Danny (the bully). They are all suspended but Rory’s parents give him credit for standing up for his former friend against the Bully. 

Some innocent scenes of 6^th grade budding romance (passing notes, inner dialogues about “likes,” one holding hands moment).

Recommendation

            This book was written by a former speech-language pathologist, teacher, and phonetics professor so it definitely rings true with its depiction of speech impediments and the teaching and training provided by speech therapists. It covers a number of deep and heavy subjects including bullying, speech impediments, and brain injuries. There are sections that are difficult and uncomfortable but handled in a very child-friendly way. The characters and relationships ring true and feel authentic.

            While the ending is predictable, it was still enjoyable to walk through the story and I found myself finishing the last 100 pages in a day. The events occur over the entire sixth grade year.  

I’m not sure there is a large audience for this book based on the subject matter and dark themes, but mature readers and readers with connections to speech problems and brain injuries will appreciate the way the characters deal with their issues and find success by the end of the story. Speech teachers should truly enjoy this book, and it could be a good classroom read, small group read, or home read where discussions, analysis, and reflection are made available.