Read this when
Speak
Melinda couldn't say what happened, so she drew trees until she could. 🌳 For anyone whose silence has been mistaken for something else.
Who it's for
Speak follows Melinda through her freshman year after she's raped at a party, ostracized for calling the police and unable to say why.
Feelings it meets
What it is
Laurie Halse Anderson's 1999 novel follows Melinda Sordino through her freshman year of high school. After being sexually assaulted by a senior, Andy Evans, at an end-of-summer party, she calls the police but cannot speak about what happened, and her peers ostracize her for it. Melinda gradually stops speaking and expresses herself through the art she makes for Mr.
Where to find it
In print (Square Fish/Macmillan) and in most libraries, including Libby/Hoopla. An audiobook exists. Graphic novel adaptation (2018) illustrated by Emily Carroll.
Before you start
Heads up: Rape and self-harm.
Age: Ages 14+
The storm of the last night has crowned this morning with golden peace.Rabindranath Tagore, Stray Birds, no. 294
