No Talking

Blurb

No Talking is a 2007 children's novel written by Andrew Clements.
It is about the noisy fifth grade boy dave packer of Laketon Elementary School who challenge the equally loud fifth-grade girls to a "no talking" contest. This competition turns out to be really hard. Main themes are related to Gandhi's practice of maintaining silence one day a week, accommodations made in school for an especially loud and talkative fifth-grade group of students, gender dynamics, and the civil disobedience those students find themselves practicing when their "right to remain silent" is questioned by the school's teachers. The contest goes on and on until they meet on decision.
The Principal thought she was dreaming when she saw that the fifth grade hall was so silent at lunch. Later, she joined in the competition.
Lynsey and Dave are the team captains, Lynsey for the girls and Dave for the boys. Both teams have agreed that when teachers ask them a question, they are only allowed to say three words. Both teams have noticed a lot of ways to make noises without saying a word.
The book won the 2010 California Young Reader Medal.