THE GIRL WHO WOULDN'T TALK
Once upon a time there was a little girl named Kayla.
She was a happy little girl. She laughed and played and read and talked to her friends. She had what her teachers called, “confidence.”
Then one day, Kayla raised her hand and said that a whale was a fish instead of a mammal, and a mean girl named Gabriella laughed at her really, really loudly and called her stupid.
Some children in the class snickered at Kayla too. And she could feel her face turning red with embarrassment. Why did she have to open her big mouth?
Even though her teacher gave Gabriella lunch detention, Kayla wasn’t the same after that.
The rest of the day, she’d think twice and then three times before she’d raise her hand. The next day, she was so afraid of getting laughed at again, she decided it would be better not to talk at all.
So she didn’t. For two whole weeks, Kayla did not say a word.
Her mother asked her what was wrong. Kayla just shook her head, meaning, “Nothing.”
Her father asked her why she was being so quiet and Kayla shrugged her shoulders as if to say, “I don’t know.”
Her doctor examined her throat and asked Kayla what she could do to help her, and she shook her head, shrugged her shoulders and looked out the window.
But when her grandmother spoke to her, she surprised Kayla. She didn’t ask her a question. Instead she said, “I did the same thing when I was a little girl. I clammed up for three weeks. Wouldn’t say a word. I was afraid someone would laugh at me ‘cause I kinda whistled every time I said a word that started with ‘s’.”
Kayla looked at her. Her sad brown eyes suddenly showed a flicker of interest. She opened her mouth as if to speak. But then thought better of it.
To find out what Kayla's grandmother told her that changed her life, read The Girl Who Wouldn't Talk.
Once upon a time there was a little girl named Kayla.
She was a happy little girl. She laughed and played and read and talked to her friends. She had what her teachers called, “confidence.”
Then one day, Kayla raised her hand and said that a whale was a fish instead of a mammal, and a mean girl named Gabriella laughed at her really, really loudly and called her stupid.
Some children in the class snickered at Kayla too. And she could feel her face turning red with embarrassment. Why did she have to open her big mouth?
Even though her teacher gave Gabriella lunch detention, Kayla wasn’t the same after that.
The rest of the day, she’d think twice and then three times before she’d raise her hand. The next day, she was so afraid of getting laughed at again, she decided it would be better not to talk at all.
So she didn’t. For two whole weeks, Kayla did not say a word.
Her mother asked her what was wrong. Kayla just shook her head, meaning, “Nothing.”
Her father asked her why she was being so quiet and Kayla shrugged her shoulders as if to say, “I don’t know.”
Her doctor examined her throat and asked Kayla what she could do to help her, and she shook her head, shrugged her shoulders and looked out the window.
But when her grandmother spoke to her, she surprised Kayla. She didn’t ask her a question. Instead she said, “I did the same thing when I was a little girl. I clammed up for three weeks. Wouldn’t say a word. I was afraid someone would laugh at me ‘cause I kinda whistled every time I said a word that started with ‘s’.”
Kayla looked at her. Her sad brown eyes suddenly showed a flicker of interest. She opened her mouth as if to speak. But then thought better of it.
To find out what Kayla's grandmother told her that changed her life, read The Girl Who Wouldn't Talk.