Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Anderson, Laurie Halse. 1999. Speak. New York: Farrar Straus Giroux. ISBN 014131088X

PLOT/SUMMARY

Melinda Sordino is dealing with the repercussions of being raped at an end-of-summer party. Calling the police did nothing to find her favor with any of her fellow students who have no clue her real reason for calling 911 and now consider her a snitch. She is ostracized, becomes withdrawn, and struggles to find healing. Healing does begin to arrive with the understanding and encouragement of her art teacher. The reader follows a spot-on rendering of a teenager in pain as she learns how to speak up for herself.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

This is contemporary realistic fiction at its most gritty and disturbing. The author has crafted a realistic depiction of high school, with its cliques and its superficial day to day concerns. Melinda is struggling with what happened to her at the party, along with the fact that no one knows the true reason she called the police. Anderson gives us a harsh look at the pain this caused the character and the far reaching effects it has on every aspect of her life. Likewise, we get to see the self-absorption and shallow nature of many of the students surrounding Melinda. The story is told in first person, and we, the reader, get to hear everything Melinda is thinking. She is a witty character, with an acerbic take on the different facets of the world around her. The author leads Melinda to seek solace in the janitor’s closet and places an accepting and available art teacher, Mr. Freeman, into her path to help break through her shell. It is through this wise use of character and plot that Melinda eventually does find her voice and a path to emotional recovery. The themes in this novel include loyalty, depression, self-mutilation, and searching for healing. The author deals with such topics in a sensitive manner, and makes this a must read for middle school and high school students.

REVIEW EXCERPTS/AWARDS

Michael L. Printz Award, 2000 Honor Book United States

Best Children's Books of the Year, 2000 ; Bank Street College of Education; United States
Booklist Editors' Choice: Books for Youth, 1999 ; American Library Association; United States
Books for You: An Annotated Booklist for Senior High, Fourteenth Edition, 2001 ; National Council of Teachers of English; United States
Bulletin Blue Ribbons, 1999 ; Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books; United States
Capitol Choices, 1999 ; The Capitol Choices Committee; United States
Children's Literature Choice List, 2000 ; Children's Literature; United States
Dealing with Alienation, 2000 ; Bank Street College of Education; United States
Horn Book Fanfare, 1999 ; Horn Book; United States
Lasting Connections, 1999 ; American Library Association; United States
Not Just for Children Anymore!, 2000 ; Children's Book Council; United States
Parent's Guide to Children's Media, 1999 ; Parent’s Guide to Children’s Media, Inc.; United States
School Library Journal Best Books, 1999 ; Cahners; United States
YALSA Best Books for Young Adults, 2000 ; American Library Association; United States
YALSA Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers, 2000 ; American Library Association; United States
Young Adults' Choices, 2001 ; International Reading Association; United States

ABC Children's Booksellers Choices Award, 2000 Winner Young Adult Readers United States
Carolyn W. Field Award, 2000 Winner Author United States
Cuffies: Children's Booksellers Choose Their Favorite (and not-so-favorite) Books of the Year, 1999 Winner Best Novel for Older Teens United States
Edgar Allan Poe Award, 2000 Nominee Best Young Adult Novel United States
Golden Kite Award, 2000 Award Book Fiction United States
Heartland Award for Excellence in Young Adult Literature, 2001 Winner United States

Starred Review in Booklist…”Melinda's voice is distinct, unusual, and very real as she recounts her past and present experiences in bitterly ironic, occasionally even amusing vignettes. In her YA fiction debut, Anderson perfectly captures the harsh conformity of high-school cliques and one teen's struggle to find acceptance from her peers. Melinda's sarcastic wit, honesty, and courage make her a memorable character whose ultimate triumph will inspire and empower readers.”

Starred Review in Children’s Literature…”But the novel's real power lies in the story of Melinda's gradual reclaiming of herself through the help of a compassionate art teacher, her concerned parents, and some caring students, and of her ultimate redemption as she finally finds the courage to speak.”

Starred Review in Kirkus Reviews…”The plot is gripping and the characters are powerfully drawn, but it is its raw and unvarnished look at the dynamics of the high school experience that makes this a novel that will be hard for readers to forget.”

CONNECTIONS

*There is an excellent Reader’s Guide full of though provoking discussion questions located at www.pointofviewbooks.com. These can be utilized while reading and discussing the novel, either as a class discussion or having the students journal their thoughts individually.

*If funding allows, there is an opportunity to Skype with Laurie Halse Anderson available through her website, http://madwomanintheforest.com/. This would be an excellent opportunity for the students to interact with a successful author, ask her questions about any of her books, and find out more about her methods.

*There are some pretty ‘heavy’ topics covered in this novel, including cliques, rape, self mutilation, and depression. If the students are able to handle it, and it is considered age appropriate, the teacher might invite a guest speaker from a support agency to come and talk to the class. This might be most appropriate when they’ve finished reading the novel, and the teacher has already guided some class discussion on the topics.

*Study some of the art produced by the artists that Melinda is introduced to in the story, including Picasso, Monet, Van Gogh, and Pollack. The students can write about what this art makes them feel and attempt to create art that is in the same style as any of the above mentioned artists. How does art help Melinda open up?

*Encourage the students to read books with similar themes to Speak. These might include…

Reviving Ophelia: Saving the Selves of Adolescent Girls by Mary Pipher (ISBN 0345392825)
Ophelia Speaks: Adolescent Girls write about their Search for Self by Sara Shandler (ISBN 0060952970)
Real Boys: Rescuing our Sons from the Myths of Boyhood by William Pollack (ISBN 0805061835)
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou (ISBN 0553279378)
Boys Lie by John Neufeld (ISBN 0789426242)
So Much To Tell You by John Marsden (ISBN 0449703746)