"What Can I Say" is a well written book about an important topic that is underpresented within the publishing world. It tackles difficult topics with empathy and clarity.

The book was clear and easy for a kid/teen to read and understand and was simple and to the point. I love that it covered so many topics that kids will find themselves in or around and how to best handle them. There are topics that I didn’t realize would be covered in the book but society is changing and I thought the author did a good job giving high level information on the topics.

I've loved Catherine Newman since she began writing about parenting her son, probably almost 20 years ago, while he was a toddler. I've followed her all thoughout the years, through my own parenting experiences, and she has long been a place of comfort for me. She knows how to say the things we are all experiencing. I've also enjoyed her advice column in Real Simple, and I was very excited when I found out she was writing a couple of kids books on manners and being good humans and good citizens. This book did not disappoint, and I immediately bought a copy for my own children.

There have been other books on manners written through the years but this one is a bit different. It is truly written for young people to read. It is written in an easy-to-read way that would work for elementary school on up. What is good is that it is very current--discusses things such as texting, and how people act these days. It is one of those books that a family could have and pull out whenever a manners-related question arises; same for a classroom teacher.

For a classroom teacher, situations in books could be discussed and then the proper way to address that situation could be compared. It is also fun, if studying Shakespeare and Elizabethan England to compare their manners with today's. Quite a lot of fun.

This book was given to me by #NetGalley to review. #WhatCanISay

I can’t wait to purchase this book. I know it will be read many, many times by my students, who are navigating a tricky period in their lives as they enter puberty and move up to secondary school. I loved the bright and not overly complicated illustrations by Debbie Fong, small easy to manage blocks of text and appealing font. The fact that this book acknowledges some of life’s more awkward situations and the massive array of emotions we all feel at some point and validated them as normal is just so crucial. The book covers a wide range of themes; with a great section on relationships that features lgbtq+ examples with natural ease; but also covers looking after our community and our planet as well as how to manage social situations and feel in control of difficult emotions. Great book!

This book is, in my honest opinion, very relatable and an easy guide not just to kids but for all introverts.

During the course of the COVID-19, many of the kids and even adults have been more isolated and learning from home. In other words, face-to-face communication is very different from the "Zooming" and virtual world.

This book shows us how to strike up conversations, how to be respectful, and how to be very clear about how to stand up for themselves and not be a wallflower who gets run over by others. The cartoon visuals make this book fun to read and are very helpful. You don't feel like you are reading boring nonfiction of some sort.

I greatly appreciated the book focusing on issues that need to be addressed, which includes racism and prejudice, pronouns, and sexuality. It's okay to ask questions and not know how to ask or who to ask, this is a great help.

This book was a great read. I read it with my 13 year old middle grader, and the book definitely helps pre-teens & teens on topics that can be difficult to navigate. I appreciate Story Publishing& NetGalley for the Early digital ARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest review, in all honesty I feel blessed that I was able to add this to my arsenal of tools to help my child navigate this new and sometimes difficult era of his life, especially since they are on the autism spectrum and that makes the topics in this book even more difficult to navigate sometimes. I highly recommend this to everyone who has a child entering the preteen/teen portion of their lives and who as a parent like me is having difficulty navigating it with their child and who might not have all the answers

The illustrations and the presentation are quite outstanding yet fun cute.

I feel this guidebook on social interaction for young readers is one of the best guidebooks I have come across. I do feel most kids feel left out and are quiet when they meet new people or people who they are not familiar with just because they do not know how to respond or start a conversation or just simply how to greet.

The illustrated guide on different common situations each kid might most possibly face are included and the tips on how to deal with them are explained well.

The book almost reads like a graphic novel. You will enjoy this one if you're reading with the kids.

One of the best young readers guidebooks I say!

Thank you, Storey Publishing, for the advance reading copy.

Honestly, adults need this book, too.

What Can I Say is a wonderful how-to book that helps guide the reader through all sorts of conversations. Some are simple and some are really not, but all are moments that will happen at some point, and having a script to follow will help a lot of people. I know it will help me.

Ms. Newman sets up the situations and gives multiple ideas to help navigate through them. She often includes the caveat that the reader may not feel comfortable or may not feel safe and that it's okay to seek help from others, or find another way around a difficult situation. Giving people options is an excellent way to let people know that one size doesn't fit all.

My thanks to Storey Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I have loved Catherine Newman’s writing for a long time and this book is no exception. Simple and clear, it’s crammed with her usual warmth and humour. Plus the illustrations are delightful.

This middle school guide to “learn and practice social skills” is just the book I could have benefited from as a pre-teen, hormonal smirch; except now I have the ability to recommend this gem of a manual to the masses!

I received an ARC from the author and publisher in exchange for an honest review.

The book "What can I say" really helps children confidently deal with any kind of situation they are in. It deals with every kind of situation we go through and how to respond to it with chosen words and expressions. The fine pictures catch children's attention.

I work in a secondary school library and this book is definitely going to be a winner on my shelves. Easy to read, informative and supremely helpful, it is laid out beautifully and gives great advice on how to use the many ways we have at our disposal of communicating with different types of people. Good, practical advise about how to interact with people in a meaningful way - and lovely use of illustrations to emphasise the point that we can all not only stand up for ourselves and our beliefs, but that we can do so in a respectful manner.

Look; tweenhood is tough. Anyone who says it isn't is either lying or deluding themselves. It's even tougher when you have to spend half your time trying to decipher what everyone around you means when they're talking. That's why this book will be a godsend.

Written in clear, simple language, bolstered with fun cartoons and comics, this is the guide everyone needs. I would love to see teachers reading this with their class, parents reading with their kids, kids reading with other kids...I'm an adult (apparently?) and I feel like I learned some things from this book.

As I was reading a proof, the conversion to Kindle wasn't perfect and a few things were in the wrong places, but I'm sure that'll be fixed by publication. The important thing is that all the cartoons and illustrations came through perfectly! They're fantastic, really helping to clarify while adding a light tone to the story. I really enjoyed looking through them.

This is a fantastic book, one I hope will do really well. It really deserves to.

This was a great book and a great addition to any library. It is inclusive, full of useful information about human interactions, and has a great sense of humor. Knowing how to interact with others is a learned skill and this book gives great practical tips for kids (and grown ups).

This book is a wonderful guide for kids to give them options of what to say in specific situations. It is a helpful guide to use to teach communication skills. Everyone can improve in the area of communication. This book is very easy to follow and helpful. There are a wide range of topics included in this book. It provides examples of how to deal with difficult situations/conversations such as bullying, dating, and racism. I highly recommend this book to parents, middle school librarians, and schools. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance review copy in exchange for my honest review.

Can I get an amen? Man, my kids need this book. Is it just me or has the social awkwardness reached an all time high?? Catherine Newman and illustrator Debbie Fong tackle ALL the subjects kids these day need help with: how to start a conversation, how to interact with adults, how to think about complicated feelings, crushes, empathy and when to write a thank you card. The illustrations are straight forward with key notes on what to say/what not to say.

I received an ARC for a fair review:

This title is great! I am eagerly awaiting this so I can purchase it for my library.

What Can I Say? helps kiddos navigate the awkwardness of meeting new people. dealing with offensive jokes, how to properly ask about pronouns, and more. This cute and comprehensive guide is a wonderful resource for parents to help their children learn how to speak confidently and kindly to others. I love the little quizzes and examples of conversations to help kiddos check their knowledge. It is done in a very accessible way which I really appreciate.

I really loved this book. As a teacher who focuses on emotional literacy in primary and middle school I will definitely be buying a book to have in use in the classroom. I found the content presented beautifully and, as an adult who struggles in similar situations, I found some great advice.

I really enjoyed this book and would have really benefited from it as a child. I loved the simple, straightforward advice about how to respond to awkward or difficult situations. The first few sections in particular were really strong and would be a great learning tool for a child that struggles with social skills or etiquette. Heck, I'm a grown adult and I feel like I learned a lot. The only thing I didn't like about this book was that, to me, it did feel pretty preachy at times, especially in the last section. I think it would have been better if there was a little more space held for people that might not agree about the pronouns and gender identity parts of the book. Or advice about how to interact with people who disagree with you on certain issues with whom you disagree but still love and don't want to write off. And, while the book is supposed to be simple and for young people, I also think that the parts about talking to your family about their offensive behavior were a little unrealistic. The hard part of the conversation isn't necessarily confronting Uncle Joe about his offensive joke, it's dealing with his reaction in a mature and respectful way that isn't starting a fight. That's the part that I still need help with and definitely did when I was younger. Overall, though, I think this book would be a truly valuable gift for a kid! I definitely recommend it.