by Katherine S. Rybak (Author)
DJ doesn't use words to speak. He doesn't use hands to sign. But he has plenty to say.
DJ is a fifth grader with opinions about his grandpa's stories, about marmalade, and about people who speak about him instead of to him. He says all of it with his face, his eyes, the sounds he makes, and recorded plastic buttons that talk when he presses them. His family reads him easily. His friend Harper is sure she knows what he wants, but being sure is not the same as saying it out loud.
On a Wednesday, he hears the choir through an open door, and he wants in. Getting into the room turns out to be the easy part. Figuring out what DJ will do in the choir is the hard part. The fall festival concert is two weeks away, and DJ wants something more than a little bell.
A realistic story about music, belonging, and what it takes to understand a person who never says a word out loud.
DJ's Voice tells an authentic, empowering story about a boy who communicates without speech: the daily work of being understood, the people who get it right, and what changes when people listen with their eyes and their heart. Filled with music, family, and friendship, this book shows every kid that a voice and words are not the same thing.
Perfect for readers ages 8-13, classrooms, book clubs, and anyone who has more to say than most people hear.
Reading Level: Grade 4 Interest Level: Grades 3-8 Genre: Realistic Fiction
Number of Pages: 210
Dimensions: 0.53 x 8 x 5 IN
Publication Date: September 30, 2026
