Speak

Speak

Anderson, L. H. (1999). Speak. NY: Penguin. This book about Melinda is divided into the grading periods of the school year.  What happens to Melinda actually happens at an end of the summer party.  She is raped by a popular boy at the party, calls the police, gets scared, leaves before the police get there, and tells no one what happened.  Melinda's friends and everyone at school treat her like the enemy because she called the police.  Her parents don't know what is going on, but they see her dropping grades.  She does enjoy going to art where she is supposed to make a tree.  Melinda's parents and the school don't know what to do with her.  She hides in a closet at school and decorates it to make it her own.  At the end of the story, Melinda discovers that this boy might have done this to other girls and she is willing to tell the truth.  Readers will feel uncomfortable and want to help Melinda.  This is a good book to discuss sexual assault with young adults.

Lesson Plans:

http://madwomanintheforest.com/pdfs/speak-out.pdf

If you like Speak, try these books:

http://www.librarypoint.org/bm_speak