Speak

Title: Speak

Author: Laurie Halse Anderson

ISBN: 978-0312674397

Publisher: Farrar Straus Giroux

Copyright: 1999

 Plot Summary:  Melinda Sordino, is a freshman in high school, in a year that should be exciting for her, she is dealing with a great amount of pain. Her classmates won't talk to her because she called the cops at a party she attended during the summer. They won't talk to her so she essentially stops talking to teachers, students, and her parents. The only solace she finds is in her freshman art class. Through this project Melinda starts to deal with why she called the cops at the party. 

Critical Evaluation:  This book covers a heavy topic and it is written very honestly. There are moments in the book that you can truly feel how invisible Melinda feels.  Although the book is about a very serious issues, there are many light moments within the book.  This is a truly well written book, and the readers will be able to relate to and understand Melinda. 

 Reader's Annotation:  Melinda Sordino lost the ability to speak for herself at a party over the summer, will she be able to rediscover it and deal with the issues that took her voice away?  

Genre:  Realistic Fiction, Young Adult

 Author Information: Speak was Laurie Halse Anderson's first young adult novel. She has since written other young adult novels including Wintergirls. To find out more about Laurie Halse Anderson visit her website at http://madwomanintheforest.com/.

Book talks: Abuse, Speaking for yourself, taking power

Reading Level/Interest Age: High School. 14-18

Challenge: Sexual Abuse. This book deals with the topic of sexual abuse however the reader is slowly introduced to what happened and it a crucial part of the story and character development.

Why was this book chosen?: This book is a powerful, well-written book and it was recommended. 

Wintergirls

Title: Wintergirls

Author: Laurie Halse Anderson

ISBN: 978-0142415573

Publisher: Viking

Copyright: 2009

 Plot Summary: This story follows Lia and Cassie childhood best friends. They both suffer from Bulimia and are in a quest from 8th grade on to be the thinnest girls in class. Lia goes into treatment for her eating disorder when she is in 11th grade and this causes a rift between her and Cassie. Cassie is found dead at a motel due to a ruptured esophagus and Lia is haunted by her ghost. Lia struggles with recovery, the death of her best friend, and whether or not she wants to continue to live. 

Critical Evaluation:  This novel covers very heavy topics like death, eating disorders and self harm but in a way that it is approachable by the readers.  The hallucinations that Lia has of Cassie where Cassie tells her that she is a "ghost with a beating heart" creates this dark, twisted image in the reader's heads and helps the reader relate to Lia's mental state. 

This is a well written book about a hard to understand problem.

 Reader's Annotation: Lia has an eating disorder, the same one that took her best friends life, will she be able to escape the ghosts of her past and begin to live again?

Genre: Young Adult, Realistic Fiction

 Author Information: Anderson has written w ritten other young adult novels including Speak. To find out more about Laurie Halse Anderson visit her website at http://madwomanintheforest.com/.

Book talks: Self Harm, Eating Disorders, Friendship, family, divorce

Reading Level/Interest Age: High School/College. 15-20

Challenge: Eating Disorders, self-harm. These two things are necessary parts of the book, while not appealing it is important to know where the characters are coming from and what they are suffering from. 

Why was this book chosen?: