Speak

Speak

By: Laurie Halse Anderson

Anderson, L. H. (1999). Speak. New York: Farrar Straus Giroux.

Summary and Response:

In this startling and hard hitting novel, Melinda is beginning 9th grade and has become a self selected mute. Other students think she is weird and her parents and teachers are seeing this as a sign of delinquency. We soon find out that Melinda has become silent due to a party she attended over the summer where she was raped. Melinda called the cops and they busted the party but she fled before explaining why she called the police. Through the school year Melinda struggles with what has happened to her. She finds an outlet in her art class as she figures out how to draw trees and through a boy she meets in science class. Melinda finally begins to overcome the trauma of her rape as she tries to help an ex best friend get away from the same boy who raped her. Because of the subject matter, this novel would best be suited for your high school level students. I can see this novel being used as a basis for beginning a research unit on sexual crimes.