Speak+by+Laurie+Halse,+Chelsea,+Katie,+Nicole,+and+Kaitlin

Speak by Laurie Halse, Chelsea, Katie, Nicole, and Kaitlin Period #2, Marking period 4 Book Club Book|Speak by Laurie Halse, The story of Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson. It's a story about a girl named Melina Sordino that is an outcast at her high school because she called the cops to the final summer party of the year. No one wants to listen to her explanations, so she explains the course of her year and reveals in stage what happened at the party. The reviews of this book are extremely good and the it looks really interesting. This book sounds like a really good book that our entire group would enjoy reading.

Week 1: A- Chelsea B-Nicole C-Kaitlin D-Katie The book is introduced to a girl named Melinda Sordino. Melinda is a freshman at high school. She goes to her first day of school and none of her friends want to talk to her. Over the summer she went to a party and was drunk and dazed there. While she was at the party she called the cops and we don't know why. While she was at her first day of school during lunch her ex-best friends are there and refuse to sit with her, and she get potatoes thrown at her. She gets introuble because the teachers think it was her fault for starting a food fight. The teacher who got her introuble takes her to an art class. One good thing through this entire process she finds one friend, the new girl named Heather, who is the only friend she has. She tries to talk to her ex-friends, but they won't talk back.

Do you think Melinda wants to be friends with Heather? Not really, because she has no one else, and she is like her back up.

Do you think she wants to be friends with her old friends? Yes, you can tell because she tries to talk to them.

Do you think she will become friends with her old friends? It will take time, but soon enough they will forgive and forget. Week 2: A- Katie B-Kaitlin C-Nicole D-Chelsea

As the book continues Melinda starts eating less and less and her parents decide to confront her at dinner. She is also starting to let her grades slip because she feels like she has nothing to work for. Te only class that she is passing is art because she feels like its a good way for her to express her feelings. After her parents told her to start working harder she pays more attention in biology and starts to bring her grades up in math. Her parents tell her that she needs to stay after school every day for extra help form her teachers. Instead of going to her teachers she hides in her closet and makes herself a safe place where no one can bother her. She puts new books and posters in her safe place and she says that it feels like a fort. Melinda starts talking even less now and her throat is always sore and her lips are always dry. She said that she wants to give her guilt and fear to someone else and that she will never feel truly safe.

How do you know that Melinda experienced trauma? Because she is hiding from the outside world and has zero friends.

Why do you think Melinda's best friends from middle school turned against her? Because she crashed the party, and called the cops.

Try putting yourself in the place of Melinda's parents for a moment. How do you think they view Melinda? Why, from their point of view, do they feel such frustration with her? They see Melinda as a laid back person, who doesn't really care about life anymore. Her parents are disappointed in her because she is not doing well in school.

Week 3 A-Nicole B-Chelsea C-Katie D-Kaitlin

Melinda has no more friends and no one in the school likes her. All of her teachers hate her, except for art teacher. He is the only one who supports her including her parents. No one believes in her. Melinda and her lab partner David, help take down their history teacher, Mr. Neck. Melinda writes an essay about suffrage for extra credit and Mr. Neck doesn't approve of her essay and gives her a D-. David sues Mr. Neck and no he has no control of his class. Melinda is now working on the garden and their yard. She really enjoys this and takes her anger out.

Why does Melinda hide out in the closet?-She likes to get away from everyone and hide in the closet. Why does her art teacher believe in her?- He sees something in her that no one else sees/ Why is Melinda mute?- She doesn't talk anymore since that party in the summer and when she experienced her trauma.

Week 4 A-Kaitlin B-Katie C-Chelsea D-Nicole

Melinda misses the bus and decides to walk to school in the middle of a snow storm. On the way to school she stops at the local bakery. While she is in there, IT walks in. She gets all nervous and can't speak. Instead of going to school, she goes to the mall and buys a few new items. The next few at school she has more trouble focusing and the Principal gives her in school suspension. While she is in there IT walks in again. She gets all nervous and can't function. Later that night, Heather comes over and needs to talk Melinda. She asks her to help her decorate for the prom. Melinda refuses to help her. Rachel is going out with Andy Evans, and Melinda sends an anonymous letter saying to leave him before he hurts you.

Why does Melinda send Rachel that letter?-Because Andy Evans raped her at the party. Why does Melinda refuse to help Heather?-Because Heather left her in the beginning of school to be friends with other people. What do you think is going to happen next?- I think that Andy Evans is going to hurt Rachel and then hurt Melinda again.

Week 5 A-Chelsea B-Nicole C-Katie D-Kaitlin

In the last section of the book, Melinda sits down in the library next to Rachel. At first, Rachel ignores her and won't acknowledge her. Melinda takes the first step and says 'hi' to her. Rachel says hi back, and they start a conversation about how their friendship was great and how close they were. After talking for a few minutes, the librarian tells them to be quiet, so they continue their conversation on paper. After talking for a little, the conversation topic gets onto the party. Melinda finally tells Rachel what happens. Rachel freaks out, and apologizes for leaving her and ignoring her, and she wants to know why she did not tell her right away. Rachel wants to know who raped her. Melinda gets enough confidence and writes Andy Evans, Rachel's boyfriend. Rachel gets insulted and accuses Melinda of being jealous of her. Later that day, Rachel breaks up with Andy, and Andy hunts Melinda down and starts beating her in a closet, and tries to rape her again. This time Melinda is screaming and the whole lacrosse team hear her and saves. Melinda needs to go to the hospital because of the cuts on her hands. Rachel and all of her friends forgive her and they become friends again.

Why do you think Andy does that the Melinda? Because he was mad at her because she told Rachel what he did to her in the summer. Why does Rachel break up with Andy? Rachel is mad because Andy raped her best friend. Why does Rachel call Melinda later that day? She calls her because she realizes that she didn't give Melinda a chance to explain what happened, and in the end something bad actually happened.