KidsBuzz

Nancy Tandon

Dear Librarians,

Twelve-year-old Rory Mitchell can't tell you his first name. He's not in a witness protection program or anything. He just can't say R sounds. He expects teasing, but he never thought his friend Brent would side with his tormentors. He also never expected to learn about heavy metal music from his speech teacher.

As a former speech/language pathologist, I worked with many clients who couldn't say sounds in their own names. I wondered what school would be like for a kid whose difficulties persisted into middle school... and Rory was born. 

Kids will cheer and cringe as Rory and Brent make mistakes trying to repair their friendship. Drawing on stories from Muhammad Ali's life, realistic speech therapy tasks, and a killer soundtrack, THE WAY I SAY IT celebrates underdogs and how the right friends make you feel like a champion. 

I'm thrilled that booksellers selected it as an Indies Introduce title!

Turn up your amp and enjoy!

Nancy
www.NancyTandon.com 

"A touching and respectful story about friendship, feelings, and support."  —Kirkus Reviews

  "Nancy put together a book with incredibly relatable characters doing their best to work with the cards they've been dealt. A reminder to us all to keep pushing; it does get better." —Cliff Helm, Left Bank Books, St. Louis, MO

   "[A] sensitive, engaging, realistic story with characters that ring true to life as a sixth grader." —Shirley Mullin, Kids Ink Children's Bookstore, Indianapolis, IN

   "Rory is simply the best — whether he's struggling to pronounce his name through a speech impediment, learning to stand up to bullies, or just rocking out on his guitar. Tandon's debut is a celebration of all the things we love — and hate — about ourselves! This book is a total triumph and filled with so much love!" —Laura Graveline, Brazos Bookstore, Houston, TX