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There are some things we can't say and others that it's not polite to say and many people don't know the difference. Martha is not a person, but instead is a dog who is able to speak when alphabet soup travels to her brain rather than her stomach. It's an amusing adventure for everyone, but eventually Martha's family is less than amused. She never stops talking!

Unfortunately neither Martha nor her family remember their manners with all the changes and her exasperated family eventually tells her to "shut up!" Martha loses her confidence and her willingness to speak until she is called to save the day. Some of us may say things in exasperation that we do not mean while others may draw ire with irritating honesty and nonstop talking. This story offers both perspectives and could be instructive for students learning letters themselves, learning to think in their head rather than aloud, or simply to learn the power in bouncing back from having your feelings hurt.

The entertaining story is helped by amusing illustrations and dialogue bubbles worth investigating. The medium appears to be watercolor and it lends itself to tonal changes as well as complementary textures. A fun read for many ages! ( )

Summary: Martha Speaks is about a dog who gains the power of speech after she ate some alphabet soup. The alphabet ended up going to her brain instead of her stomach. Martha then goes on this series of adventures with her friends and family.
Class: Martha speaks, is a great book to teach young readers vocabulary.
Review: What I love is that each book has a its own theme that is presented in the beginning. Though it not told one has to pick up the key words.
Age: Primary- Intermediate. ( )

This book would be good to teach students about cause and effect and the positives and negatives of cause and effect.