Speak
By
Laurie Halse Anderson
1.
Anderson, Laurie Halse. Speak. New York, NY:
Penguin Group, 1999.
ISBN9780142414736
2.
Summary
Freshman,
Melinda Sordino is an outcast. Everyone knows it was her who called the police
at an end-of -the -summer party, where the police broke it up and several kids
were arrested. Her friends will not
speak to her and she has been labeled “weird”.
But, Melinda has a shameful secret.
She was raped at the party by an upperclassman. Unable to speak the truth, she tells know one about the rape and falls
into a deep depression. “It's easier not
to say anything. Shut your trap, button your lip, can it. All that crap you
hear on TV about communication and expressing feelings is a lie. Nobody really
wants to hear what you have to say.” She
withdraws from her family and the world.
She is all alone with only her thoughts.
Was it my fault? If only I ….?
But I said No? She feels broken. She
looks at herself and does not recognize who she sees. Melinda retreats to a life of
seclusion. She withdraws and barely speaks
“I wonder how long it would take for anyone to notice if I just stopped
talking.” The only solace she has is her
art class with Mr. Freeman, who eventually helps Melinda, start the healing
process through her art project. Just
when Melinda begins to heal, her attacker returns. This time refusing to let him hurt her again
she finds her voice and fights backs.
The truth is reveled.
3.
Critique
Speak
is a contemporary realistic novel written by Laurie Halse Anderson. It is a National Book Award Finalist and a
New York Times bestseller. The story is a first person narrative told from the
voice of Melinda Sordiano. It takes place in Syracuse New York, present day and
follows Melinda through four grading periods of her ninth grade year. In this true to life
story, Anderson captures teen age suffering in and honest and raw manner and
shows readers what High school is “really” like. The characters in the story are
convincing. Anderson portrays them with
truth and honesty, describing their flaws and showing them for who they really
are. Readers follow Melinda
through her pain and silence of trying to deal with the rape and wanting
desperately to tell someone but cannot find the words. Anderson captures Melinda’s voice
perfectly showcasing her, fears and silence in an
authentic and sometimes humorous way. The reader yearns for
Melinda. They feel her pain and want to
speak for her. Readers will
automatically connect with Melinda’s as they are taken on this emotional journey
as she deals with the attack and finding her voice and along the way dealing
with rejection from peers, losing her identity, coping with high school, and
dealing with her neglectful parents. Anderson enhances the
story by using symbolism in her writing.
The use of the tree in Melinda’s art project represents her growth
throughout the story. The Maya Angelou poster in the closet gives Melinda
strength because she is a survivor of rape.
In addition, Anderson uses Nathanial Hawthorns book The Scarlet Letter
and shows how the two main characters relate. The story reads at a steady pace
and page by page readers peel back the layers of Melinda’s suffering all along waiting
with anticipation trying to figure out who the boy is and what happened. The
Victorious ending gives the novel a satisfying ending when Melinda finds the
ability to speak. Readers will feel
elated for Melinda and know that she is on the road to healing. This is an
outstanding book for young adults age 14 -18.
4.
Review Excerpts
·
Publishers weekly – “the book's overall gritty realism and
Melinda's hard-won metamorphosis will leave readers touched and inspired”
·
New York Times Bestseller
·
The Horn Book, Starred review - “Speak will hold readers from the first word
to the last”
·
National Book Award Finalist
5.
Connections
·
Have the students pick out one
passage from the book that spoke to them and have them write about it.
·
Have students keep a journal
throughout the reading of the book. They
can jot down their thoughts and ideas and discuss them in small groups.
·
Present various questions to the
students that relate to sexual harassment and trauma and have them discuss them
in small groups.
·
Have students write about a time
they stood up for themselves and how it made them feel.
·
Have students watch the movie and compare
it with the book.
·
Have student’s research various
aspects of abuse such as: types , victims,
treatment, reasons
·
Working in groups they can make an
awareness commercial or flyer to young people.
Other
books by Laurie Halse Anderson:
Catalyst
Twisted
Related
Books:
Monster
by
Walter Dean Myers
The
Perks of Being a Wall Flower by Stephen
Chbosky
The
Lunch Lady
and
The League of Librarians
by
Jerett
Krosoczka
1.
Krosoczka,
Jerett. The Lunch Lady and the League of Librarians. New York, NY: Alfred A. Knopf, 2009.
ISBN9780375846847
2.
Summary
The
graphic novel is about a school cafeteria lunch lady who fights for Justice.
“Serving Justice and Serving Lunch”.
Hector, Terrance and Dee …AKA the breakfast Bunch get a bad vibe from
the school librarian and discover her along with several other librarians are
up to no good. They call themselves The
League of Librarians and they are out for world domination. Their first step is to destroy all video
games because they are corrupting children’s minds”. The League is planning a master attack on a
shipment of X-Station 5000’s at a shipyard.
The League of Librarians have pulled out their deadly
weapons……..books. Opening the books
unleashes the stories characters to destroy the video games. The lunch lady
catches word of the attack and along with her trusty sidekick Betty, rushes out
to save the video games. Lunch Lady to
the rescue!!! Flying in on their hover pizza, she and Betty starts fighting the
characters with linguini lassos and celery staffs. OH NO!!, they gets captured. What will happen now …will all the video
games in the world be destroyed or can the Lunch Lady and Betty break free and
continue their fight for justice? Wait
it’s the Breakfast bunch to the rescue.
They help the lunch Lady and Betty break free to dominate the
librarians….Victory is there’s.!!!!
3.
Critique
Evil
librarians, world domination, pizza hovers, taco-vision goggles books used as
weapon, and a celery staff??……can it get any more amusing and creative than
this? Lunch Lady a League of Librarians, the second book in Jerett Krosoczka
lunch lady series is a graphic novel about evil librarians wanting world
domination and their first step is to destroy all video games. Kids will be cheering on the lunch lady and
her efforts to save all video games.
The story is action packed using a traditional theme of good vs. evil
and good triumphing in the end. The dialogue is entertaining and fun and the
simple yet dynamic plot will be sure to grab the attention of young readers age
8-10. The story takes place in a
school setting which kids will find appealing and familiar. Kids will relate to the likable characters in
Breakfast Club bunch. Dee likes to read
and Hector and Terrance like to play video games and together, they investigate
mischievous activities. Kids will love
the eccentric crime fighting lunch lady and her side kick Betty. This quick and
funny read will have young reader’s running back for the entire series, even
those reluctant readers. Kids will be
overjoyed with the conclusion of the story, the librarians are taken away and
kids get to enjoy both books and video games together. For any of you who have
ever wondered about your kooky lunch lady…look no further than…..Lunch Lady and
the League of Librarians.
4.
Review Excerpts
School Library Journal (2009) –“With its appealing mix of action and
humor, this clever, entertaining addition to the series should have wide appeal.”
5.
Connections
·
Students
can write their own graphic novel using a comic book format and dialogue.
·
Have
students perform an Author Study on Jerrett Krosoczka.
·
Have
students visit the website http://www.lunchladycomics.com/ for activities.
·
Perform
a reader’s theater.
·
Students
can create a new invention for the Lunch Lady to use.
·
Students
can compare and contrast two of the Lunch Lady books.
Other
Books by Krosoczka:
·
Lunch
Lady and the Cyborg Substitute #1
·
Lunch
Lady and the author Visit Vendetta #3
·
Lunch
Lady and the summer Camp Shakedown #4
·
Lunch
Lady and the Bake sale Bandit #5
·
Lunch
Lady and the Field Trip Fiasco #6
Other
Graphic Novel series:
·
Baby
Mouse by Jenifer and Mathew Holm
·
Possessions
by Ray Fawkes
·
Frankie
Pickle by Eric Wight
When
you Reach Me
By
Rebecca
Stead
1.Stead,
Rebecca. When you Reach Me. New York, NY: Wendy Lam Books, 2009 ISBN 9780385737425
2.
Summary
The
year is 1978 and twelve year old Miranda lives with her mother in New York City
in an old rundown apartment building. Miranda
is a smart, funny and independent girl who loves to read. Her favorite book is A Wrinkle In Time by Madeline L'Engle's that she continue to read over and
over which gives readers some insight into the meaning of the story. Miranda and her best friend Sal know how to
navigate their neighborhood. They know what places are safe to go, such as
rosas and they also know what to avoid, such as “the laughing man” which is the
crazy homeless man on the corner. One day
everything began to change for Miranda. Sal
was punched in the stomach by a boy from the neighborhood while he and Miranda were
walking home from school. After that, Sal told Miranda that he did want
to spend time together anymore. Miranda
is forced to have to make friends with the girls at school and to her surprise forges
several good friendships. Miranda also starts
receiving strange notes that tell her ….
I am coming to save your friend’s
life, and my own.
I must ask two favors. First, you must write me a letter.
I must ask two favors. First, you must write me a letter.
Miranda does not know what the letter mean. She is
confused and scared by them because they know things about her. On her way home from school one day, Miranda sees
Sal running from the boy who punched him.
Sal runs in to the street and is nearly hit by a bus but is saved when
the “laughing man” kicks him out of the way.
Miranda then starts to put the pieces of the puzzle together and figures
out what the notes mean.
3.
Critique
When You
Reach Me is written by Rebecca Stead and
is Newbery Award winner. It is part
contemporary realistic fiction part science fiction. This complex story has it
all! It is believable, has an excellent
setting, a fascinating plot, well developed characters, depth, humor, mystery
and suspense. Stead’s
inspiration for the book came from A
Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle's and also from her childhood growing
up in New York City’s Upper East Side. The
story is told from the voice of Miranda and switches back and forth from past
and present tense throughout the story. The unique storyline combines modern
day life with a science fiction kick and executing it in a believable way. The story is a mystery and is filled with
suspense and unusual twists and turns on every page. The characters are authentic to New York and are
realistic and likable. Readers will identify with Miranda as they are
taken on her intriguing journey as she deals with growing up, losing a best friend and finding new ones, racism, first
crushes, first kisses, and first impressions.
The ending is satisfying as Miranda begins to wonder if time travel exists and makes
readers think about it as well. The story
jumps around so young readers need to be patient as this could cause some
confusion with keeping up with the story at times. There are short chapters (named after categories from the 20,000 Pyramid
game show) that create anticipation and move the story along at a nice
pace. This would be a great read for children
ages 10- 15.
4.
Excerpts
2010 Newbery Winner
Publishers Weekly… Best Book of the Year 2009
School Library Journal …Best Book Of the Year
2009
Starred Review, Booklist, 2009 - "the mental
gymnastics required of readers are invigorating; and the characters, children,
and adults are honest bits of humanity no matter in what place or time their
souls rest."
5.
Connections
·
Create a blog that students can
communicate with each other about the book.
The teacher can pose questions for the students to discuss.
·
Have the students write about the different
classes of people and how they were significant to the story.
·
Students can create their own mystery
story.
·
Create a timeline of significant
events in the story.
·
Have students read a Wrinkle in Time and have them compare
and contrast the two books.
·
Play 20,000 Pyramid using details
from the story.
Fiction
·
The
Westing Game by Ellen Raskin
·
Holes By Louis Sachar
·
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle's
Nonfiction
·
It’s Our World by Phillip Hoose
Other
books By Rebecca Stead
·
In First Light
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