Dave Packer gets the idea of being silent from reading about Mahatma Gandhi. In a moment of annoyance
with Lynsey Burgess, Dave challenges Lynsey and the other girls to have this contest. They accept the
competition. The rules allow the youngsters to use a maximum of three words if the children must respond
to a teacher or other adult. During the silent days, Lynsey serves as the ringleader of the girls, while Dave
leads the boys. After the contest begins, the teachers at Laketon Elementary School are surprised when this
noisy cohort of students, whom the faculty members call “ The Unshushables”, suddenly fall
silent.. Science teacher Mrs. Marlow gets
annoyed because the fifth graders cannot develop
their ideas smoothly when they discuss assigned
homework. The three-word limit creates the most
serious difficulties in music class where the students are practicing songs for the Thanksgiving
program. Frustrated, Mrs. Akers asks the pupils to hum and clap, which the contest rules allow.
We also find out how Principal Abigail Hiatt views the situation. Before the contest begins, she has been
going around the school trying to change the behavior of the fifth graders to make them more quiet and
obedient. However, her tactics are false more likely she shouts into her bullhorn in the cafeteria. After the
contest begins, Principal Hiatt, who likes having control, is surprised by the quiet students and angry that
“no one had asked for her permission.”
The most easy-going and creative faculty member is Mr. Burton, who teaches language arts. During his first
class, Mr. Burton has the students take turns reading a funny piece of short fiction, three words at a
time. Then, he asks the learners to make up their own story, each student contributing three-word units. For
his second class, Mr. Burton has the fifth graders write many notes to each other because their contest does
not restrict written communication. During the second day of silence, he assigns discussions between
students, who use three-word sentences. Instead of expressing anger as the other teachers do, he studies his
students’ behavior and plans to write a book about the unusual situation.
Finally, Principal Hiatt decides to call a school meeting to force the fifth graders to talk. She begins by
asking Dave and Lynsey to lead the Pledge of Allegiance.Then Principal Hiatt tells the students that their
no-talking contest must end immediately.
However, the fifth graders continue their contest for a second day as they had originally agreed. They
decide that singing isn’t talking, so
they can practice songs in music class. But they abide by the thee-word limit in all of their other
courses. Most of the teachers work around the contest rules usefully.
When Principal Hiatt returns from an off-campus meeting to patrol the cafeteria, she is furious that the
silence competition has continued, despite her orders. After she bullies Dave during lunch with her
bullhorn, he stands up to her. He proclaims, “I do not have to talk now if I don’t want to. This is our lunch
time. None of us have to talk!” And he yells to his classmates, “You have the right to remain silent!” Then
Dave folds his arms, all of the fifth graders do likewise, and they all start to clap, hoot, and whoop.
Principal Hiatt summons Dave to her office. He is worried that he has gotten into terrible trouble. However,
they both apologize to one another, and Dave invites her to join the contest. She agrees and apologizes to
the entire fifth-grade class. Principal Hiatt calls another assembly and declares a no-talking competition for
the whole school among different grades, except for the kindergartners.