Awards
Michael L. Printz Honor Book, 2000
Golden Kite Award - Fiction, 1999
Golden Kite Award - Fiction, 1999
Staff Pick
Books are powerful. When Speak was published 20 years ago, there were very few stories like it. Holding this book, I think of copies getting passed from person to person, lending solace and understanding. As the #MeToo movement has shown, stories like this that make survivors' voices heard are still extremely relevant and important. Recommended By Christine R., Powells.com
Synopses & Reviews
Melinda Sordino busted an end-of-summer party by calling the cops. Now her old friends won't talk to her, and people she doesn't even know hate her from a distance. The safest place to be is alone, inside her own head. But even that's not safe. Because there's something she's trying not to think about, something about the night of the party that, if she let it in, would blow her carefully constructed disguise to smithereens. And then she would have to speak the truth. This extraordinary first novel has captured the imaginations of teenagers and adults across the country.
Review
"An uncannily funny book even as it plumbs the darkness, Speak will hold readers from first word to last." The Horn Book
Review
"Melinda's sarcastic wit, honesty, and courage make her a memorable character whose ultimate triumph will inspire and empower readers." Booklist
Review
"Stunning first novel...Anderson infuses the narrative with a wit that sustains the heroine through her pain and holds readers' empathy...." Publishers Weekly
Review
"The plot is gripping and the characters are powerfully drawn...its raw and unvarnished look...will be hard for readers to forget." Kirkus Reviews
Synopsis
Laurie Halse Anderson s award-winning, highly acclaimed, and controversial novel about a teenager who chooses not to speak rather than to give voice to what really happened to her marks ten years in print with this special anniversary edition. Bonus material created for this edition includes a new introduction and afterword from the author, resources, and discussion guide. Will also include a preview of Anderson s newest book, Wintergirls. The quintessential edition for all fans of this powerfully moving book."
About the Author
Laurie Halse Anderson has received both the Margaret Edwards Award and the ALAN Award for her contributions to young adult literature. She has also been honored by the National Coalition Against Censorship in recognition of her fight to combat the censoring of literature. She is the author of the groundbreaking National Book Award finalist and Printz Honor Book Speak. She is also author of the critically acclaimed YA books Prom, Twitsted, Catalyst, Wintergirls, and The Impossible Knife of Memory. She has also authored a number of middle grade titles including The Vet Volunteers series, and the historical fiction Seeds of America Trilogy, which includes Forge, ALA Best Book for Young Adults�Fever 1793, and the National Book Award finalist and Scott O'Dell Award-winner Chains. She and her husband live in northern New York State. Follow Laurie on Twitter @halseanderson and visit her at madwomanintheforest.com.