“They tried to silence me. But still—I speak.”
Eight-year-old Zora Neale Hurston has always believed in rules.
Rules at school. Rules in her Constitution unit. Rules that say everyone should be treated fairly.But when a president known for cruelty rises to power, when her textbooks erase her family’s history, and when grown-ups start whispering every time she asks hard questions, Zora begins to wonder:
What good are the rules if they don’t protect everyone?So she picks up her purple notebook—and writes her own.
With powerful honesty and quiet courage, Zora begins a movement in her school, her home, and eventually far beyond—proving that even the softest voice can shake the system.
⭐ Perfect for:✔️ Readers ages 8–13
✔️ Parents and educators looking for books that encourage critical thinking, compassion, and civic awareness
✔️ Classrooms and homeschool families exploring U.S. history, race, equity, and student voice
✔️ Fans of Front Desk, Ghost, New Kid, and The Parker Inheritance
📘 Themes:
Speaking up when it’s hard
Family legacy and historical truth
Civic empowerment and student leadership
Restorative justice, DEI, and identity
The soft power of tenderness and truth
Still I Speak is a moving, affirming upper elementary novel that inspires young readers to ask bold questions, hold onto hope, and write a future where every voice matters.
Because Zora’s story isn’t just hers.
It belongs to every child who’s ever asked:
“Why is it like this?”
And to every adult willing to answer truthfully.