The book is well written realistic fiction . I recommend for ages 14-20.
Monday, August 31, 2009
Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson
Laurie Anderson has written a novel that will engage teen readers as well as their teachers and parents. The main character ,Melinda Sordino is starting High School. She has become a pariah amongst her social group.Her crime according to her former friends was that she called the cops to break up an end of summer party. Melinda feels like an outsider and becomes depressed. Readers will empathize with her- laugh with her and feel just as confused as she does as she tries to fit herself back into a community of friends , teachers and family.
The book is well written realistic fiction . I recommend for ages 14-20.
The book is well written realistic fiction . I recommend for ages 14-20.
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I think this is an excellent novel for a grade nine class, because it deals with issues that many new high school students are facing. It also deals with issues that many adolescents may be afraid to speak openly about. In this way, it allows students to step out of their comfort zone and share their views about sexual assault and bullying. There are also many overarching themes that can be focused on such as identity and personal growth. Overall, I believe this is a novel that students will want to read, discuss and share stories about because it is very relevant to their age group.
While discussing this book in class, Heather brought up a really interesting point, which was whether or not students will be able to entirely relate to the character of Melinda. I had been assuming they would understand how she felt and apply it to situations they themselves had been in, because who hasn't felt ostracized at some point in highschool? However, Heather said that although students could initially relate to Melinda, they may feel as though the situation she is in is more serious or more important than their own (ex. - she has a real problem to deal with, and their own situation becomes less significant because it might be something silly like they don't wear fashionable clothes or listen to popular music.
I have been thinking about this over the weekend, and it would definitely be something I would want to bring up with a class if teaching this book. It would be good to get them thinking about why people are excluded, and whether or not the reasons for being excluded are valid. It would give them insight to things that might be going on in their own lives and maybe reconsider how they think about and act towards others.
Overall, I do think that students will relate to Melinda. She has a strong voice (through inner monologue) despite not speaking out loud, and it is witty, sarcastic, and honest, which students will appreciate. They most likely will share feelings with her, despite being in different situations, and it will be interesting to see how they compare themselves to Melinda.
Thanks to Victoria for reminding me of that conversation! I have also been thinking about Melinda, and how high school students will relate to how she reacts to being ostracized. Resorting to silence is powerful, but not necessarily in the way you want it to be. I think we can all relate to the notion of silencing ourselves when bad things happen, but hopefully the message that breaking your silence is liberating and healthy will be appreciated by the high school audience.
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