Speechless

Jewish sixth grader Mira, portrayed with brown skin, lives with selective mutism, a condition that prevents her from speaking in certain social settings. To cope, Mira channels her creativity to develop stop-motion animation videos, crafting unique puppets and offbeat scripts which she anonymously posts online. Mira’s sanctuary is jeopardized by the arrival of her former best friend, Chloe, who’s staying with Mira’s family to finish the academic year before joining her parents following a move to Missoula to care for Chloe’s ailing grandmother. At school, Mira finds an unexpected ally in nonbinary class project partner Alex, who supports her during moments of bullying. As Mira contends with shifting relationships, she attends therapy sessions that mark her progress from whispering to Alex at their seats to speaking at the front of the class. Steinke (the Mr. Wolf’s Class series) draws from personal experience, as addressed in an author’s note, to offer realistic insight into SM and its social stigma. Exaggerated cartooning highlights Mira’s emotions, blending humor and vulnerability in a heartwarming and visually enticing graphic novel that lauds imagination and self-expression. Characters are depicted with varying skin tones. Ages 8–12. Agent: Judy Hansen, Hansen Literary. (Mar.)