Muted: A Conversation With Author Tami Charles

Scholastic Reads

In this episode, author Tami Charles joins host Suzanne McCabe to talk about her latest book, Muted. The young adult novel in verse introduces readers to three aspiring musicians: Denver, Dali, and Shaq. The gifted Black teens are coping with high school, family, and friends in rural Delaware Valley.

The girls get their first big break when they meet Sean “Mercury” Ellis, the undisputed king of R&B. But Merc has other ideas for them.

Tami, herself, is no stranger to the music scene. In her teens and early twenties, she tasted fame with an all-girl R&B group. She found her voice. But as the title of her book suggests, not everyone does. Muted amplifies the voices and the promise of Black and Brown girls, while painting a harrowing picture of the abuse and violence that many suffer in silence.

A former classroom teacher, Tami is also the author of The New York Times-bestselling picture book, All Because You Matter, which began as a love letter to her young son.