A review by bbckprpl
Noni Speaks Up by Heather Hartt-Sussman, Geneviève Côté

4.0

Noni Speaks Up by Heather Hartt-Sussman - (Which is also apparently part of a series, the first book being Noni Says No, about Noni's people-pleasing ways, which is also quite interesting, and worth a read.) This second book is about bullying, and standing up for what you know is right, in the face of friends, and the fear of the resulting social isolation. Noni's a good kid who has great manners and practices kindness, but "when she sees the kids bullying Hector at school, Noni freezes. She does not budge. She cannot get out a single word." Of course, she knows what's happening is wrong, but she's afraid of what might happen if she says so... she likes being accepted, having friends, and if all her friends hate Hector, how does she oppose them? "On the way home, Noni isn't very proud of herself." She imagines all the potential pitfalls of saying that Hector is a pretty cool dude and they should all be nice to him, like having to sit by herself at lunch, or having her friends turn and laugh at her. The text is so relate-able, and so relevant, that any kid will understand Noni's dilemma. While the ending is abrupt, and seems slightly unfinished, it might be a good conversation starter, a place to get kids thinking about what might happen after Noni does do the right thing, and how she/they could respond.