This is a largely character-driven book, a feature less common in work for a middle grade audience. Plenty of things happen in the story but Charlotte's desire to avoid attention is always at the center of things. It informs every action and interaction. It is both the source of conflict and her resolution. And Charlotte is a genuinely likeable character. She may be a bit frustrating at times in her reluctance to act, but she's also very observant and sees the goodness in her peers even when they appear cruel or otherwise unlikable. And through this plot Varnes shows the reader not only the power of simple acts of kindness to affect change but also how easy it is to be a part of the problem. How easy it is to be unkind or allow others to be cruel. A solid read.

What an amazing Middlegrade story! Charlotte and Maddie are nervous to enter middle school, and quickly realize those nerves are justified! After watching a boy get bullied on the bus, Maddie chooses to do the right thing and reports the incident to the principal. However doing the right thing makes Maddie and Charlotte the new victims.

Desperate to find some relief from the incessant bullying, Charlotte soon deserts her friend. You see, Charlotte has a stutter. She is desperately self conscious and is not equipped to deal with any form of ridicule. Her parents push her to join musical theater where she finds her people, and she slowly starts making amends.

I loved how this book highlighted how mean kids can be in middle school and how kindness always wins. The adults were all so wonderful in this book. I loved how they both pushed the kids to make the right choices and also helped them to get there. The writing style would be perfect for younger readers but as a 35 year old mom, I absolutely loved it too!

I also loved how they highlighted the arts, especially musical theater and English. The arts so often get looked over in schools and this book shows how important creative writing and theater can be for students’ self expression and overall well-being.

I hope this book becomes a staple in every school’s library!

Say It Out Loud is the second middle-grade book I’ve read in the past month that has someone with a stutter as the protagonist. The first book, The Boy Who Made Everyone Laugh, by Helen Rutter, features a boy who uses humor to help people see beyond is stutter. In Say It Out Loud, Charlotte finds her voice though pen and paper.

While Charlotte’s stutter is part of her story, the main theme of Say It Out Loud is bullying. Charlotte may initially hide because of her stutter, but it’s the trauma of harassment that keeps her silent. Author Allison Varnes does an excellent job creating these scenes. The feelings practically leap off the page. She helps readers to see why people would choose silence while showing a path to speaking out.

Some of the characters are fairly stereotypical — the bullies, the mean girl in the musical, etc. — but they’re all relatable, too, which sort of balances everything out.

Say It Out Loud is a fairly quick read that will speak to readers on a number of levels.

Middle-schooler Charlotte and her best friend Maddie find themselves on the bus with two bullies. When the bullies target Ben by throwing a wad of gum that lands in his hair, Maddie speaks up. Charlotte, who has a stuttering problem, prefers to remain unnoticed. When the bullies set their sights on Maddie for snitching, Charlotte knows she should stand up for her friend. She chooses to protect herself instead, a choice that becomes A Bad Thing.
Through caring teachers and challenging writing and theater classes, Charlotte finds her voice. When she sees the power of her written words as a force for good, she gains the courage to use her spoken words, as well.
Though middle school was many years ago for this reader, the story transported me back to those hallways as if I were there yesterday. I related to Charlotte's fears, her desire for self-preservation, and the difficulty of speaking out when you already feel like an outsider. Once I began Charlotte's story, I could not leave her! I was engaged from page 1 and finished the book in two sittings. The themes of kindness, forgiveness, and the power of words are needed now more than ever.

I have read some good YA titles in the past. Some that really made me think.
Say It Out Loud falls into that area. It's a great story with a big message.

Middle school is hard for everyone.
Some just seem to have a harder time of it.
Between changing bodies and needing to find where you fit in, it can easily become a few years worth of material to fill your nightmares.

Charlotte finds this out rather quickly as she and her best friend, Maddie, end up getting attention from some bullies on their bus. This happens after Maddie speaks up about them bullying another boy.

Charlotte doesn't want to be seen or be a regular target. So, the next day she just walks past Maddie on the bus to sit in the back. And witnesses how Maddie is the new target of the 2 bullies. Shunning her friend becomes the "bad thing" which she now considers insurmountable to overcome. So for months, she is without her best friend because a simple sorry isn't enough to bridge the divide.

in the meantime, she has to navigate potential perils while stressing out about her 'flaw', stuttering. And realizes that through writing she can find her voice and use it to make the world a better place.

Overall, this was a good read even if I'm well outside the age range the book primarily targets. And that's okay because I think there are many of us who need a reminder to speak up for others. To find our voice and use it.

Say It Out Loud
by Allison Varnes
Random House Children's, Random House Books for Young Readers
Middle Grade
Pub Date 24 Aug 2021



I’m reviewing a copy of Say It Out Loud through Random House Children’s and Netgalley:



Charolette Andrew’s doesn’t mind being quiet, in fact she prefers it. When she isn’t speaking people can’t make of her stutter. But when she witnesses bullying on the school bus and doesn't say anything, her silence comes between her and her best friend.


To make matters worse her parents signed her up for musical theater. Charlotte doesn't want to speak onstage, but at least she doesn't stutter when she sings. Then, just as she starts to find her voice, the arts program is cut. Charlotte can't stay silent anymore.



To in order to ease her guilt and to help her classmates Charlotte begins to write anonymous encouraging notes to her classmates. Letters to the school board to save the school musical. And an essay about the end of her best friendship--and her hope that she can still save it.



Words could save Charlotte Andrews and everything she believes in if she just believes in herself enough to speak up.



I give Say It Out Loud five out of five stars!


Happy Reading!

Charlotte is a very relatable main character -- the scenes at school and on the bus brought back vivid memories of my own years in middle school, dealing with bullies and shifting relationships with friends.

The inclusion of musical theater was SUPER fun, and the author's experience with stuttering as a child made the story even more powerful.

Charlotte Andrews is nervous about starting middle school. Not only is she riding a school bus for the first time, but her mother insisted she take musical theater class and she just knows that the speech teacher is going to pull her out of class to work on her stuttering. She’s been working on her stuttering for years, and she is embarrassed when she gets singled out. And what if she’s not in any classes with her best fried Maddie?

And then it starts, and things are not okay. Charlotte and Maddie see Ben get bullied on the school bus. Two older boys start making fun of him, and no one stops them. Charlotte wants to speak up, but what if stutters? She’d be so embarrassed, and they might start teasing her about that. But Maddie wants to tell someone who can help, and she ends up going to the principal’s office.

Charlotte chooses not to speak up, but she gets called to the office anyway. She still doesn’t say anything, but she does write out what she saw and hopes that it helps Ben. And the next day, when she goes to sit on the bus, she sees that the bullies are sitting right behind Maddie, like they know that she’s the one who got them in trouble, and Charlotte doesn’t sit with her. She chooses to walk by and sit further back. It’s a big mistake, and she regrets it immediately, but she can’t find the courage to change seats.

She tries to apologize to Maddie later, but saying sorry isn’t enough, and days go by with Charlotte feeling like a bad friend and a bad person. Charlotte finds that she enjoys her classes, especially her English class where she gets to write every day. And in musical theater class, she finds out that they’ll be performing The Wizard of Oz, which is one of her favorite movies, and she immediately starts on her audition piece for Glinda the Good Witch.

But nothing she does can make up for the Bad Thing she did to Maddie. Not when she writes Ben a note, saying that she thinks he’s brave. Not when she starts anonymously leaving encouraging notes in lockers and backpacks all over the school. And when the school board decides that this year will the last for the musical theater class, and Charlotte decides to start writing letters to the school board and local media outlets, that’s still not enough to make up for the Bad Thing.

The only thing that will help is to apologize to Maddie and see if she can forgive her. But does Charlotte have enough courage to find her voice and say those words to her former best friend?

Say It Out Loud is a charming novel that takes on all the difficult feelings of middle school. For a lot of kids, this is the first time they experience bullying, the first time they get excluded just for being young. And when you add in something that makes them feel different, like Charlotte’s stuttering, then processing those feelings get even more difficult. Author Allison Varnes understands, and she fills Charlotte’s story with kindness and grace, offering hope and warmth for kids struggling with those feeling guilt or shame or just feeling small and powerless.

I loved Charlotte’s story. I thought it was lovely how Charlotte found her voice through writing, whether it’s the encouraging notes she started leaving wherever she went or the journaling she did for her English teacher. Using musical theater as a way to help Charlotte find her confidence and her voice was smart plotting as well as a lot of fun. Say It Out Loud is a great tool for encouraging kids to find and use their voice, and an entertaining story as well.

Egalleys for Say It Out Loud were provided by Random House Books for Young Readers through NetGalley, with many thanks.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Random House Children's for the opportunity to read and review this book. Ahh this book! I wasn't sure how I was going to feel with this book because of my career as a speech teacher but also because of the fluency/stuttering representation. Thankfully, the fluency/stuttering representation was #ownvoices which means that the author could directly relate to the main character. That definitely helped me to like this book more. The themes with this book also are perfect for someone starting out in middle school with friendships and how to spread kindness towards others and how the littlest of things make a difference. Overall, I truly enjoyed this book and would highly recommend it to any middle grade classroom. Because of these points, I have to give this a 4-4.5 out of 5 stars.

Charlotte is a kid with a lot to say but no confidence with with to say it. After living for years with a stutter, she is at the point where she mainly talks to her parents and best friend. But, when bullies target her best friend, and she doesn't use her voice, she ends up all alone. Varnes writing puts the reader in Charlotte's shoes - I was cringing and nervous just reading the story - worrying and trying to find the best way out. She perfectly captures the imperfections of middle school kids, each struggling in their own way to find their place, and the guidance of loving and flawed adults.

This is one of my favorite middle grade reads of the year and I'm already planning to read it aloud to my 4th graders as soon as I get my hands on a physical copy!

This book tells the story of Charlotte Andrews, a middle school student who has a stutter. Charlotte is often quiet so that people can't make fun of her speech, while her best friend, Maggie, is outspoken and stands up for what she believes in. When the girls witness bullying on the bus, Maggie tries to help, but Charlotte chooses to stay quiet and her silence threatens to end their friendship. Charlotte also finds out that her theater program is going to be taken away due to lack of funding. In both situations, she knows she needs to speak up, but her stutter keeps getting in the way. Charlotte starts writing anonymous encouraging notes to her classmates and when she sees that they're making a difference, she hopes to use her writing to save both her friendship with Maggie and the theater program.

My favorite part of Say It Out Loud is that the situations are true to what middle grade students experience and the lessons the characters learn can be applied to readers' lives. I think all of my 4th graders will be able to see themselves in at least one of the characters in this book which will prompt great discussions in our classroom. Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Random House for the advanced audiobook of Say It Out Loud. I can't wait to share it with my students.

"Say it Out Loud" is one of those books that makes you experience many emotions from anger to excitement and several in between. BFFS Charlotte and Maddie are nervous to start middle school and with good reason. The author, Allison Varnes, perfectly conveys this awkward, uncomfortable stage of life. The dynamics of bus rides, evolving friendships, the lunchroom, and bullies are brought to life as Charlotte and Maddie experience middle school. Varnes uses sensory language and descriptions that makes readers feel as if they're on the bus, sitting in the lunchroom, and getting bullied right along with the others. Charlotte deals with stuttering and feels as though she is the only one with problems but later learns nearly everyone has something he or she struggles with. As several characters make bad decisions, it's difficult to read but it's also great when some of them choose to turn things around. There's much to learn from this story. Those who like reading a story they can relate to will love "Say it Out Loud."

I can hear you say you’re way too old to read this book and its main target readers are younger generations which I disagree because the things are discussed and told here also resonate with everyone. It’s about : learning to find your voice and SPEAK UP!

Most of us forget to use it at younger ages because when we want to express our selves honestly, we also hesitate to do it bravely. In our family, in our school circle or around your friends there would be always someone to criticize you but it shouldn’t mean you don’t have a valuable voice or nobody cares what you think! You just have to learn trust your guts and jump to the stage and express yourself without worrying about being in the spotlight!

This book reflected the after effects of bullying on YAs so perfectly! Being afraid of being humiliating in front of others make two close friends estranged.

Charlotte suffers from stuttering and she prefers stay silent because the school bullies have power to turn her life into hell but that also means she has to keep her silence when they bully her best friend Maggie. She cannot speak up to protect her even she knows she’s doing something wrong.

But things get escalated when the viral video releases!

Charlotte gets sick of hiding her voice and enduring the unfairness. When she finally finds a way to show her true self by singing in school musical , she finds out the arts program is cut out which is the final straw!

She starts to write letters to school board, doing everything in her power to save the musical. As the words she bottled up slowly get freed, she feels more relieved and now by writing an essay about friendship, she faces her own insecurities, doing everything make things right with her best friend Maggie!

Overall: this is good written, thought provoking, inspirational and extremely emotional read that I truly enjoyed.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Random House Children’s for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest opinions.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children’s for the review copy of this book. I found this book intriguing because it is about a young girl (Charlotte) whose parents sign her up for musical theater in hopes of helping her cope with a stutter.

I enjoyed this book from the beginning! I love the themes of doing good, making a difference, finding your passion, and friendship found within. The characters were quirky and likeable, the faults were redeemable, and the production of The Wizard of Oz was great. This book is filled with entertaining dialogue and wonderful discussion points for a group of readers to read.

Did I immediately order a copy of this to read with my 5th and 6th grade students at the beginning of the year? You bet I did!

Going into middle school is tough, going into middle school with a stutter is a nightmare waiting to happen. Charlotte is desperate to hide the fact that she has a stutter. Bullies start to pick on her best friend, and when Charlotte tries to stand up for her friend her stutter makes her a target for bullying as well. In that moment Charlotte makes a choice that could ruin her friendship forever. Can Charlotte find her voice, mend a friendship, and create change within her school before it is to late?

What do I love about this book. I love that Charlotte is a character that kids will identify with. She is raw and open with her thoughts, and just realistic. She is not the perfect pristine middle schooler who is normally portrayed in a lot of teen books. She is normal and average, but capable of being so much more. Her struggle with how do can she fix the harm she has inflicted, along with how can she create change within her school, and at the same time trying to find a voice are ones that teens will connect with. This book is just overall very relatable, and I love the message it promotes. Great job. A book I am super excited to recommend to any middle age reader.

Thank you so much Random House Books for Young Readers and NetGalley for allowing me to read an advance copy.

After fear of being bullied for her stutter makes a sixth grader abandon her best friend, a musical theater class inspires her to write encouraging notes to other targets of bullying--and eventually to the bullies themselves.

This novel took me right back to middle school. The shifting, straining friendships, the bullying, trying to fit in so hard you end up pushing other people out--Varnes captures all of it perfectly. Yet SAY IT OUT LOUD does not feel angsty. The musical theater plot line and positive friendships in that class as well as the protagonist's decision early on to start practicing empathy and encouraging others keep a constant thread of hope and inspiration running through the novel. This is a stand-out middle grade book that will be excellent for contemporary fiction readers, schools, and book clubs.

Speaking up is hard for Charlotte. She is extremely self-conscious of her stutter which gets worse in stressful situations. She will do anything to avoid being made of fun of, including ditching her best friend when Maddie takes a stand against a couple bullies on the bus. Charlotte watches as Maddie is tormented and decides to start writing notes of positive affirmations for people to find. This doesn't help Maddie at all and does little to assuage Charlotte's guilt. Can Charlotte find a way to speak up when it matters most? And will Maddie ever forgive her? There is also a nice side story about their musical theater production of The Wizard of Oz, and a fight to save the program at their school. Recommended for grades 4 & up.

I really enjoyed this book and can't wait to share this one with students. I loved the theme and how the author encourages kindness and being able to stand up for yourself and others. There is so much to talk about with students while reading this book. I will definitely be purchasing for my school.

I received an electronic ARC from Random House Children's Publishing through NetGalley.
Varnes shares a look at middle school life in its ugliness and kindness. Charlotte and Maddie have been friends forever but a couple of choices Charlotte makes drives a huge wedge between them. Varnes uses a tender touch but does not sugarcoat the bullying and fear of being picked on that creates the ugly situation on their bus and during school. This works as a read aloud to drive discussion on how everyone makes mistakes and choices that cause pain for someone else. They can also make choices that offer kindness and support - it's their decision.

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC. I enjoyed the book a lot and the weaving of musical theater into the storyline. I thought the characters could have had more development, especially Maddie. The ending was a bit trite, but still enjoyable. I enjoyed Allison Varnes's writing, but felt that the Rebel Librarian was a better story.