Calhoun. There Are No Words. Lucky Press. 2010
From Midwest Book Review
The most terrifying future is a future you cannot change. “There Are No Words” tells the story of a mute girl who finds herself with a voice, but sent back decades ago. With the knowledge of a train wreck that will kill one of her grandfather’s friends, Jaxon MacKenzie finds herself in a time before said accident. But a twelve year old girl can’t do much to stop a government train…can she? “There Are No Words” is a charming story of determination and friendship, highly recommended.
From Feathered Quill: 5 Stars
There Are No Words is narrated by Jaxon, a 12-year-old girl with autism who lives with her grandparents. Though she shares with the reader that she cannot speak and describes her intense reactions to sound and touch, this is not really a book about autism. It is an adventure whose protagonist happens to be autistic.
Jaxon also proves to be a strong, quick-thinking girl with a crush on a black boy and a friend who, in 1918, likes to wear boys’ pants and shoes under her dresses. Author Mary Calhoun Brown defies many stereotypes. Teachers and parents looking for a book with strong female characters or gentle, nurturing men will find them here. The book also promotes awareness of autism without presenting it as a problem to be overcome. In fact the main problem from Jaxon’s point of view is that other people do not understand autism and treat her as though she is stupid or, to use her word, unworthy.
We see the world through the eyes of someone who is extremely sensitive to touch and to sounds. Jaxon also pays close attention to details and colors. The descriptions of the world