Muffled

In this novel, a young girl learns to cope with her noise sensitivity and step outside of her comfort zone by getting partnered with Madge in music class.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 240 pages
Publication date: 09 December 2021
Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Ten-year-old Amelia, like her father, is highly sensitive to noise. From the screeching brakes of the subway to the squeaky sneakers of her peers, she finds it difficult to tolerate sound. Despite her reliance on noise-canceling headphones, Amelia's parents have decided that it's time for her to stop wearing them as she enters fifth grade. This presents a significant challenge for Amelia, as she must now learn to play an instrument, which she perceives as a means of intentionally making noise.

To assist Amelia in coping with her noise sensitivity, her father gifts her a pair of earmuffs. While these earmuffs provide some relief, Amelia continues to struggle at school. However, her fortunes change when she is partnered with Madge in music class. Madge is a loud, bold, and goofy individual, completely opposite of Amelia's quiet and reserved nature. To Amelia's surprise, Madge expresses a desire to be friends with her.

At first, Amelia finds it difficult to reconcile her friendship with Madge's loud personality. However, as they spend more time together, Amelia begins to see the value in Madge's exuberant energy. Madge introduces Amelia to new songs, games, and experiences that she had never encountered before. Through their friendship, Amelia learns to appreciate the beauty of noise and the diversity of sounds that surround her.

However, their friendship is not without its challenges. Amelia's quiet nature often clashes with Madge's loud personality, leading to misunderstandings and arguments. One day, Madge disappears after an argument with Amelia. Amelia is deeply concerned for her friend's safety and sets out to find her.

As Amelia searches for Madge, she realizes that she has been living in a world of muffled noise for so long. She has been shutting out the noisy world around her, unable to cope with her sensitivity. Through her search, Amelia learns to embrace the noisy world and to find ways to cope with her noise sensitivity.

In the end, Amelia is able to find Madge and reconcile their friendship. Through their journey, Amelia learns the importance of self-acceptance, embracing diversity, and finding ways to cope with challenges that arise. "The Quiet Girl" is a thoughtful and heartwarming middle-grade novel that will resonate with fans of books like "Tune It Out" by Jamie Sumner and "El Deafo" by Cece Bell. It explores the themes of noise sensitivity, friendship, and self-discovery, and encourages readers to step outside of their comfort zones and embrace the world around them.

Weight: 176g
Dimension: 131 x 193 x 19 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781534463660
Edition number: Reprint