 |
Melinda Sordino is beginning her freshman year of high school, but an event that happened over the summer has caused her entire life to change and others to treat her differently. Melinda has become friendless and an outcast because she called the cops on an end-of-summer party with underage drinking. No one will talk to her and no one will listen to her, and so Melinda has practically stopped talking all together. Melinda finally finds solace in her art class and she finds that she can trust her art teacher. Through her art work she is able to face the truth of what happened to her at the party. Melinda finally finds the courage to speak up for herself, fight back, and receives retribution. This is a dynamic novel with a beautiful heroine.
The novel is written in first person narrative, in the style of a diary written by the main character, Melinda Sorina. While reading the story, you can almost hear Melinda's voice telling you her troubles and fears. High school students and young adults will relate with Melinda, even if they have not had a tragedy such as hers. Anderson creates the character true to today's high school students and the reader is able to see a life through her perspective. The theme of Speak is that of finding oneself or standing up for oneself, which many young adults will understand and will find personal meaning in the book's theme.
Anderson, Laurie Halse. Speak. New York: Farrar Straus Giroux, 1999. Nook eBook. eISBN 9781429997041
At the end of the ebook, the publisher has included an interview with Laurie Halse Anderson regarding the writing of Speak and the character, Melinda. Anderson discloses that she spent many evenings at a local Taco Bell observing teenagers in order to portray their language correctly in her contemporary realistic fiction. Also included are facts and resources for sexual assault survivor resources. A discussion guide will prove helpful for librarians that are leading a book club or for teachers that are completing a novel study in their classroom. Anderson has also included a word about censorship.
Awards for Speak
1999 National Book Award Finalist
1999 BCCB Blue Ribbon Book
1999 Golden Kite Award for Fiction
2000 Hornbook Fanfare Best Book of the Year
2000 ALA Best Books for Young Adults
2000 Edgar Allen Poe Best Young Adult Award Finalist
Michael L. Printz Honor Book
Publisher's Weekly Best Book of the Year
Reviews for Speak
"In a stunning first novel, Anderson uses keen observations and vivid imagery to pull readers into the head of an isolated teenager." ~ Publisher's Weekly
"An uncannily funny book even as it plumbs the darkness, Speak will hold readers from first word to last." ~ The Horn Book
"Melinda's sarcastic wit, honesty, and courage make her a memorable character whose ultimate triumph will inspire and empower readers." ~ Booklist
Other Young Adult books by Laurie Halse Anderson
Wintergirls. Viking Juvenile, 2009. ISBN 9780670011100Twisted. Viking Juvenile, 2007. ISBN 9780670061013
Prom. Viking Juvenile, 2005. ISBN 9780670059744
Classroom Connections for Speak
Speak is recommended for grades 9 - 12, and has been taught in classrooms throughout the United States and Canada, as well as college.
Teachers can connect Speak with The Scarlett Letter and have students compare the two books, or the two female characters.
Teachers can follow the lesson plan found here to guide their classroom in a lesson analyzing the Pledge of Allegiance and the Freedom of Speech in the U.S. After analyzing the Pledge of Allegiance, students can then discuss the character in Speak and how she struggles with her freedom of speech.
No comments:
Post a Comment