SPEAK

Bibliography:

Anderson,Laurie Halse. 1999. SPEAK. New York. Penguin Group. ISBN 014131088x

Plot Summary:

Melinda, a high school freshman, is the protagonist of the story. After a horrific incident of which she can tell no one, she spirals into a dark depression, losing her ability to speak with ease. Abandoned by her friends, finding solace in her closet at school, all Melinda has left is her dedication to her art. It is this dedication that allows her to grow until she eventually sees herself as a survivor rather than as a victim. Melinda discovers that the only way to overcome evil is to speak out against it.

Critical Analysis:

Anderson uses the first person to advance the storyline in SPEAK. Her use of flashback, via Melinda remembering past events, and monologues, via a running commentary within Melinda’s thoughts, propel the story to its conclusion. Anderson’s use of symbolism is strong. For example, she uses trees to reflect Melinda’s struggles. Anderson writes of Melinda’s outward struggle determining which art medium best represents a tree while inwardly Melinda is struggling with her past. The tree in Melinda’s front yard is an additional representation of this struggle. The tree has a damaged branch, and Melinda’s father states “By cutting off the damage, you make it possible for the tree to grow again.” Another example of symbolism is Anderson’s use of closets. Melinda uses closets to escape from her surroundings. At school, she discovers an abandoned janitor’s closet which she cleans and then decorates with personal items from home, including a poster of Maya Angelou, the poet who had experienced the same trauma as had Melinda; at home Melinda sits in her bedroom closet with clothes stuffed her mouth to stifle her screams. Not being able to find another person with which to share feelings, Melinda chooses closets as her shelters and shields.

The main theme of this story is the strength of character. Anderson shows the reader that it is their choice to stay in the closet and be miserable or come out and find ways to deal with their difficulties and traumas. Once Melinda confronts her demons, she shows her strength of character by choosing the latter course. 

Experts Reviews:

“The book's overall gritty realism and Melinda's hard-won metamorphosis will leave readers touched and inspired.” Publishers Weekly

“Melinda's sarcastic wit, honesty, and courage make her a memorable character whose ultimate triumph will inspire and empower readers.” Booklist

“Melinda's sarcastic wit, honesty, and courage make her a memorable character whose ultimate triumph will inspire and empower readers.” Audiofile

“An uncannily funny book even as it plumbs the darkness, Speak will hold readers from first word to last.” The Horn Book

Connections:

Read other books by Laurie Halse Anderson:

PROM, Viking, 2005.

CATALYST, Viking, 2002.

FEVER 1793, Viking, 2000.

WHEN YOU REACH ME

Bibliography: 

Stead, Rebecca. 2009. WHEN YOU REACH ME. New York. Wendy Lamb Books. ISBN 9780385737425.

Plot Summary:

Miranda is an ordinary middle school student. She lives with her mother in a New York City apartment. Mom’s boyfriend, Richard – “Mr. Perfect (except his right leg is shorter than his left)” – spends much of his time with them. A latch-key kid, Miranda always walks home from school with her best buddy Sal. Together they navigate their neighborhood, trying to avoid the crazy man on the corner. They call him “Laughing Man.” Until one day after being punched by a strange kid, Sal abruptly ends his friendship with Miranda. That is when Miranda starts getting strange letters. The anonymous writer says he is going to save Miranda’s friend’s life and he needs her to write a letter for him. Miranda is intrigued and frightened, especially after she receives the next note which correctly predicts future events in her life.

While trying to resolve this mystery, Miranda gets caught in the daily routine of a sixth grader. She develops a friendship with classmates Annemarie and Colin, with whom she helps at Jimmy’s at their lunch time. Later, Miranda meets Marcus, the boy who hit Sal. As Miranda gets to know Marcus, she discovers that he isn’t mean, but he is extremely intelligent. Marcus provides a thought provoking commentary on Miranda’s favorite book A WRINKLE IN TIME.

One day on her way from school Miranda witnesses Sal running into traffic from Marcus. Sal is nearly hit by a truck, but Laughing Man saves Sal by kicking him out of the way and dies in his place. Miranda tries to connect the dots: she realizes that Laughing Man is travelling back from the future Marcus, who came to save her friend and was sending her letters. This book is Miranda’s mission to save Sal. She writes every detail of her adventure and must give it to present-day Marcus. It will remind him to return to the past when he discovers how to travel through time.

Critical Analysis:

Rebecca Stead created an enjoyable example of fantasy for young adults – WHEN YOU REACH ME. It is a compilation of mystery, realistic fiction, fantasy, and historical fiction (it is set in New York’s upper-Westside during 1978-79).

The heroine of WHEN YOU REACH ME is 12-year old “latchkey kid” Miranda. Miranda struggles to make sense of her world. She balances between solving mysterious letters and daily experiences like lost friendship, self-doubt, coming of age. Stead gives us access to Miranda’s internal landscape through her authentic narrative voice and well-chosen sensory details: the smell of dry-cleaner exhaust, the way her hexagonal bathroom tile shifts into different patterns when she stares at it, the mesmerizing quality of light reflected on the oily water of a saucepan.

A primary theme is the importance of friendship. Miranda and her friends learn how to develop new and to maintain friendship without stifling it. They discover that you can build a strong relationship without regard to race or wealth or other circumstances in life. As soon as A WRINKLE IN TIME appears in a book’s plot, the reader recognizes a time-travel theme. Stead reveals the secret of “tessering” – taking shortcuts through time and space. WHN YOU REACH ME is a great story about the nature of time, friendship, compassion, and sacrifice. Rebecca Stead gives kids access to the wonder, doubts, and worries of someone their age.

Experts Reviews:

2010 Newbery Medal Winner

2010 ALA Best Books for Young Adults Top 10

"Closing revelations are startling and satisfying but quietly made, their reverberations giving plenty of impetus for the reader to go back to the beginning and catch what was missed." Horn Book Magazine
"[W]hen all the sidewalk characters from Miranda's Manhattan world converge amid mind-blowing revelations and cunning details, teen readers will circle back to the beginning and say,'Wow... cool.'" --Kirkus Reviews.

"This unusual, thought-provoking mystery will appeal to several types of readers." School Library Journal.

"It's easy to imagine readers studying Miranda's story as many times as she's read L'Engle's, and spending hours pondering the provocative questions it raises." Publishers Weekly.

Connections:

Read A WRINKLE IN TIME by Madeleine L’Engle.
What role did it play in this book?
Why is it significant to the events in this story?

BABY MOUSE

SKATER GIRL

Bibliography:

Holm, Jennifer, and Matthew Holm. 2007. BABYMOUSE: SKATER GIRL. New York. Random House. ISBN 9780375939891

Plot Summary:

Best gymnast! Best kazoo player! Home run champ! Top speller! Math whiz! It looks like everybody gets their prize. Everybody, except Babymouse. But, Babymouse is one tough girl. She is not going to give up… this time. Not like she did in Little Mouse Scouts… and in ballet… and in babysitting… and in…. Because, now she has a personal coach: Bearnakova. Bearnakova is the coach who will help her to win an ice-skating trophy. Of course, Babymouse must sacrifice many things if she wants to be a champion. Things like morning sleep, cupcakes, and play-dates with friends. Soon, Babymouse realizes winning is not everything, that sometimes you are already good at something; even if that something is eating cupcakes.

Critical Analysis:

A delightful graphic novel, BABYMOUSE: SKATER GIRL is the creation of brother and sister team Matthew Holm and Jennifer Holm. Babymouse is the star of this popular, award-winning, hilarious, pink graphic novel series.  Kids love Babymouse, who is sassy and a little clumsy. She is the kind of character with which many of us can identify. She dreams of being popular and beautiful; in real life she is just like you and me. She makes mistakes, she has her enemies, and she is loved by her friends and family. Babymouse carries a lesson for both children and adults: it isn’t necessary to be a champion to be happy in life. “Sometimes you have to quit to find out what makes you happy.”

Presented in black and white with pink highlights, this episode from the BABYMOUSE series is sure to delight readers who appreciate the adventures and misadventures of this charming mouse girl.

Experts Reviews:

"Move over, Superman, here comes Babymouse!" The Chicago Sun-Times.

"Nobody puts Babymouse in the corner!" The Horn Book.

"Cute, smart, sassy Babymouse is fun and funny, and this book, like its predecessors, will draw reluctant readers as well as Babymouse fans." Booklist.

"An almost absurdly likeable heroine." The Bulletin

Connections:

Other books in the Babymouse Series:

Babymouse : Burns Rubber (2010)
Babymouse : Cupcake Tycoon (2010)
Babymouse : The Musical (2009)
Babymouse : Dragonslayer (2009)
Babymouse : Puppy Love (2007)
Babymouse : Camp Babymouse (2007)
Babymouse : Heartbreaker (2006)
Babymouse : Rockstar (2006)

Visit the  Babymouse website:

www.babymouse.com