SPEAK! Amaya Finds Her Voice
















SPEAK! Amaya Finds Her Voice
by Ashley, De’Asia, and Romel of Reach Incorporated
It’s Amaya’s first month at a new school in a new state, and she's too scared to speak. Amaya has a stutter. At her old school she got bullied for how she talked, but she had finally just started making friends. And then her mom got a new job and moved them to DC, where she had to start all over again! Now Amaya is mad at her mom and scared at school. The only friend she shares her feelings with is her dog, Journey, who can talk back! If Amaya doesn’t start speaking soon, she’ll keep getting in trouble and will never make friends. Can Journey and her classmates help Amaya find her voice?
ISBN: 978-1945434051
Age: 4-9
Lexile: 500L
Page Count: 38
Published: Fall 2017
Meet the Authors
As reading tutors to elementary-aged students, the teens of Reach noticed that few children's books reflected their lived experience as youth of color. So they decided to take action and write their own. Now these D.C. teens are diversifying children's literature, one smart-fun-real-brave-bold story at a time.
Romel was a student at Ballou High School when he authored her book. He likes to box. One day, he wants to be an artist who gives back to his community. He was a sophmore when he published Speak! Amaya Finds Her Voice. It was his first publication, and he's gonna make sure that every kid in the world reads his book.
De'Asia was a student at Dunbar High School when she authored her book. She is a cheerleader and her dream is to be a writer. Speak: Amaya Finds Her Voice was De'Asia's first book. She was in tenth grade when she wrote it. She wants people who read the book to realize that you shouldn't be afraid to do something because of a disability. You can do anything if you put your mind to it.
Recognition & Impact
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It’s Amaya’s first month at a new school in a new state, and she's too scared to speak. Amaya has a stutter. At her old school she got bullied for how she talked, but she had finally just started making friends. And then her mom got a new job and moved them to DC, where she had to start all over again! Now Amaya is mad at her mom and scared at school. The only friend she shares her feelings with is her dog, Journey, who can talk back! If Amaya doesn’t start speaking soon, she’ll keep getting in trouble and will never make friends. Can Journey and her classmates help Amaya find her voice?
ISBN: 978-1945434051
Age: 4-9
Lexile: 500L
Page Count: 38
Published: Fall 2017
Ashley was a student at Eastern High School when she authored her book. She has tutored at Payne Elementary School since 2015. Ashley is a very passionate person, and she enjoys staying on her phone, and spending time with friends. She was a junior when she wrote Speak! Amaya Finds Her Voice, which was her first book. She hopes kids really like it.