WEIRD SAD AND SILENT

Narrator Krysta Gonzales adds emotional depth to this moving story about finding the courage to speak up. Fifth grader Daisy Jackson, dubbed "weird, sad, and silent" by two classmates, spends her time alone. After lashing out at her mother's abusive boyfriend, Daisy becomes withdrawn; she "invisiblizes" herself, befriends a stray cat, eats lunch with the school librarian, and counts Roman numerals to calm her frequent anxiety. When a new boy subtly stands up to her bullies, Daisy reconsiders the power of using her voice. Gonzales delivers a warm tone for adult characters and a higher, lighter timbre to capture Daisy's vulnerability. Her narration convincingly conveys Daisy's loving and innocent nature, authentically voicing the inner world of a child. A.M. © AudioFile 2025, Portland, Maine [Published: JULY 2025]