By: Laurie Halse Anderson SPEAK By: Laurie Halse Anderson

Biography of Laurie Halse anderson Born in Potsdam, New York in 1961 Began her career as a freelance reporter, but soon moved to writing children’s picture books. Many of her books teach kids American History Best know for her young adult novels. 1999- published Speak: best known work, New York Times best seller, and a Prints Honor Book. The school was added to school curricula across the country and a fim version was released in 2004, starring Kristen Stewart. Other Works: Catalyst, Prom, Twisted, Wintergirls, Fever 1793, Chains, and Forge She won many awards for her outstanding achievement in the field of adolescent literature.

About Speak This novel tells the story of Melinda Sordino, a Syracuse 9th grader who must overcome her depression and silence after a tragic event that happened during the summer. The novel is written in 1st person, and features a diary-like format with loosely connected, short chapters. Anderson said that this story came to her in a nightmare. “I woke up one night- panicked—because I could hear a girl sobbing,” she said in an interview. Anderson’s goal was to draw attention to teenagers like Melinda, young people whose depression goes unnoticed because they are not “dramatic” about it. There has been some controversy over the book because of it sexual implications.

Characters Melinda- protagonist of the novel. She begins 9th grade friendless and depressed. Something she did over the summer caused her “friends” to shun her. No one really knows her “big secret”. By the end of 9th grade things start to become more positive for Melinda. Andy Evans- a.k.a. IT, Andy Beast. He is the antagonist of the novel. He is attractive, but knows it. Andy is a senior and popular. He tends to tease the underclassmen. David Petrakis- Melinda’s lab partner in Bio. He is smart, confident, and assertive (everything Melinda is not). He threatens to sue a teacher. Heather- Melinda’s friend in 9th grade. She has just moved here from Ohio, and doesn’t know anyone. She is obsessed with “getting in” with the crowds. Mr. Freeman- Melinda’s eccentric art teacher. He is a talented artist and teacher who is angered by the school board cutting his funds. He is the only one who notices Melinda’s depression.

Characters Rachel- Melinda’s former best friend. Rachel now hates Melinda for something that happened over the summer. Melinda’s mother- works as a manager at a clothing store. She is a busy woman and does not have time for Melinda’s behavior. She does not notice her daughter’s depression, just thinks her low grades and silence are an act for attention. Melinda’s father- works as an insurance salesperson. He doesn’t help much around the house or notice Melinda’s changes. Mr. Neck- Melinda’s history teacher. He does not like Melinda Ivy- One of Melinda’s former friends. They reconnect in Art class.

Themes Adolescence- Communication- Young adults face many problems and issues like Melinda does in Speak. No matter the age almost every reader can connect with what Melinda is going through (first day of high school, sexual experiences, under-age drinking, social groups/cliques, puberty, etc.). Cliques in Speak: Jocks, County Clubbers, Idiot Savants, Cheerleaders, Human Waste, Eurotrash, Big Hair Chix, Marthas, Suffering Artists, Goths, etc. Melinda’s extraordinary circumstances highlight the universal difficulties of adolescence. Communication- Speak shows the many ways people can communicate, or have lack-of communication. Sticky notes, notebooks passed, letters/signs left on lockers, phones, spoken conversation, recording devices, etc. Melinda expresses her anxiety and fear of communicating by biting her lip or running away. When she does speak, she can’t get the right words out, especially about her tragedy.

Themes Depression- Growth- This defines Melinda’s behavior. Sometimes there are visible signs of depression like suicidal attempts, and other times it is internal and not completely understood. Melinda’s depression is very confusing even to herself. She tends to physically do things to herself to alleviate the internal pain she is having. Speak shows how a girl overcame her depression. Growth- Plants are a major motif in the novel, used to symbolize the importance and the difficulty of growth. In art class, Melinda is assigned a “tree” as the object to work with throughout the year. It takes her awhile to understand that sometimes you need to trim off the “dead” branches to make the tree grow and look more healthy. This is a metaphor for what she needs to do with her own life. She needs to grow.