[LM_NET] BOOK: Speak by Anderson

[Frederick Muller <mullinator52@YAHOO.COM>]

Anderson, Laurie Halse. Speak. Speak/Penguin, 2001 [0-14-131088-x]
  Melinda starts HS as a loner.  One reason is that she broke up the end of summer 
party by calling 911.  None of her former friends want to speak to her.  At school 
nothing goes right except in Art class where they teacher tries to get her to 
express herself.  As the story moves on the read finds out that Melinda called 911 
because she was raped at the party and she did not stick around to tell the police. 
 The writing by Anderson is wonderful as usual.  The reader enters Melinda's head 
as she tries to face and deal with her situation.  At the end of the 197 page book 
the person who raped her in August assaults her again in June.  The initial rape is 
not described sexually but the reader knows what happened.  The description of the 
assault is June is much more descriptive but is not sexual.  This is a powerful, 
well written book that gets into the mind of a first year HS student.  Because of 
the rape and assault, I would not give it to younger than 7th grade.  But that is
 your call, with your population.


--------
Frederick Muller, Librarian
Halsted Middle School (Grades 6-8)
59 Halsted Street
Newton, NJ  07860

my book comments are compiled at
www.halsted.org/br.htm

My blog is
MullerInTheMiddle.Blogspot.com

Copyright Frederick B. Muller
                
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