Cover Image: Speak Up!

Speak Up!

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Member Reviews

Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

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Really inspiring collection. I will use this with my high schoolers to look at speech writing and public speaking Young people are amazing!
Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for letting me read an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

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"Speak Up" is an illustrated collection of speeches by young people around the world provides an inspiring glimpse into the hearts of the next generation. Readers are called to stand up and speak out for causes they are passionate about.

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I really loved this!

The speeches were inspiring and thought provoking. I'm sure teens and adults alike will enjoy this powerful collection of speeches.

I also really adored the illustrations.

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This is a very important book. It was so good to see the perspective of children/teens about the world. We should definitely start to listen more to those guys. I'm giving it to my brothers as a gift.

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I received an advanced reader copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review via netgalley and the publishers.

Publication Day!

This book was very inspiring and beautifully written by many young artists over the last few years, many in the recent decade. This book can be read by adults and children and inspiring for all ages. Illustrations throughout the book added a flair not often found in collections like these and I liked that.

I would recommend this!

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Speak Up! is a wonderful collection of speeches of inspiring young people (children, teenagers and young adults) who are making a difference in the world.
This is not a novel to read from front to back, but you can flick through the pages and read a story whenever here and there and get back to it later.
The almost 50 speeches are in no particular order, but you will find the well-known names of Greta Thunberg, Nobel Prize Winner Malala Yousafzai, 7-year-old Syrian war survivor Bana Alabed, who tweeted the 2016 bombing and her refuge in Turkey as well as Stranger Thing actress Millie Bobby Brown, who wanted to use her global platform for good and became the youngest Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF at the age of 14.
But many names are unknown, they are 15-year-olds developing early-onset Alzheimer's tests and 22-year-old NASA rocket engineers and teenage LGBTQ+ activists, environmentalists, CEOs, entrepeneurs and designers we have - sadly - never heard of.
The most amazing part of the book is reading sentences you didn't think were possible such as starting out with "ninth grades biology and some Google papers" (Jack Andraka) as well as reading the hope in their words.
"The world needs a change. It cannot change itself. It's me, it's you, it's all of us who have to bring that change" (Malala Yousafzai).
What they all have in common is that they have understood "you are never too small to make a difference" (Greta Thunberg).

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Such a great classroom resource! I am doing a lot of project-based learning in my class, and many of the driving questions center around social justice. I would love to show my students this text in order to inspire them to think for themselves and show them that young people can have opinions and effect change!

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This is an amazing book for kids and teenagers (and adults, but especially younger people). It is empowering and a huge source of inspiration. The layout is very colourful too and the illustrations are great and fun!

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Speak Up! Is one of those books that's very pleasing to the eye. The graphics look fresh and inviting and the text is laid out nicely which is vital for a collection like this.

The book contains various speeches from inspirational young figures throughout history to the modern day; from Joan of Arc to Greta Thunberg, it's a wonderful celebration of what speaking up for what you believe in can do - no matter how old you are, or what you believe in.

I really enjoyed many of the speeches in this book, and was surprised by how many of the bold and brave young people within its pages were new to me. I did however think some of the speeches needed more context, and/or could have done with some editing.

It wasn't the most exciting book to read cover-to-cover, but it's a great resource to have for educational purposes, and to provide anyone with a bit of hope.

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I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. Thank you NetGalley.

Speak Up! is an empowering book full of amazing speeches and inspiring stories/statements.
This would be a great read for teens/young adults.

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Some of these (well in fact the majority of them) were very good speeches and I felt an impact with them. As this is a collection there are some hit and misses but that's bound to happen.

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Thank you to NetGalley & Quarto Publishing Group - White Lion Publishing for the advanced copy of this book.

Speak Up! is filled with many young people, which may be relative to the youth of today. The speeches are highly impactful, even to me, a mid-30 year old.

I hope that the youth, or even adults, that read the book, realize how important our youth are and how they can enact change in the world.



4.5 out of 5

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A fresh and hopeful book about some of the youth who are standing up and speaking up against the injustices and wrongs in the world. The children are the future. We are told to dream big and aim for change, as long as we do this within society’s image. These young people are breaking through that boundary and dreaming about a brighter future. I feel hopeful for my kids with strong leaders like them leading the way.

Beautiful illustrations, motivational and funny read this is a great book fo preteens, teens and adults about the differences you can make by just speaking up.

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This is a collection of speeches that could be used as monologues for speech class or as inspiration for teens because they are all from real teens, both current and historical. From Joan of Arc to Jazz (transgender icon), teens can find an empowering example in this book.

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I received an advanced reader copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review via netgalley and the publishers.

This book has some amazing and inspirational speakers and speeches within its pages, all of which are inspiring for children and adults alike to read and take note of. Some of the speeches/speakers I hadn't heard of before which I found interesting and intriguing. Many of the speeches and speakers are very recent (over the last 10 years) which is also refreshing as this will appeal to children of a modern era and generation

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