Speak

Written by: Laurie Halse Anderson

Published by: Square Fish, 1999.

ISBN 978-0-312-67439-7

Plot Summary:

After being raped by a high school senior, freshman Melinda Sordino breaks up a summer party by dialing 9-1-1. Melinda decides to keep her secret to herself, and starts school as “the girl who called the cops.” She immediately loses her friends, and becomes an outcast. Melinda is only able to gain her strength to speak after her art teacher, Mr. Freeman, assigns a thought provoking and emotional project. 

Critical Analysis:

“It is my first morning of high school. I have seven new notebooks, a skirt I hate, and a stomachache… I am an outcast.”

Speak is, unfortunately, a very true-to-life story in today’s society. Rapes, bullying, teasing, cutting class, and outcasts are all play a role in today’s high school societies. Everyone can relate to Melinda’s character in the story. Although most have not been in a sexual situation similar to hers, most everyone has been picked on or felt like an outcast at one time. Readers will hopefully gain confidence from Melinda’s changes throughout the book as she sees herself out of a terrible depression and conquers many of her deepest fears. Speak is written simply and beautifully, and the sentences are pure but powerful. Although the plot seems slow at times, the story is intriguing and realistic enough to hold a reader’s attention. The conflicts and solutions in the story are believable and very relatable for today’s students. The book is set in Syracuse, New York, and most of the story is set specifically at Merryweather High School. The author describes this high school as if it could be any high school, which also makes the book relatable. Melinda’s story will bring young readers the courage to cope, heal, and express themselves.

Awards and Reviews:

Edgar Allen Poe Award (2000)

Golden Kite Award (2000)

Michael L. Printz Award (2000)

Booklist Editor’s Choice (1999)

Horn Book Fanfare (2000)

School Library Journal Best Books (1999)

YALSA Best Books for Young Adults (2000)

Kirkus Reviews: A frightening and sobering look at the cruelty and viciousness that pervade much of contemporary high school life, as real as today's headlines. At the end of the summer before she enters high school, Melinda attends a party at which two bad things happen to her. She gets drunk, and she is raped. Shocked and scared, she calls the police, who break up the party and send everyone home. She tells no one of her rape, and the other students, even her best friends, turn against her for mining their good time. By the time school starts, she is completely alone, and utterly desolate. She withdraws more and more into herself, rarely talking, cutting classes, ignoring assignments, and becoming more estranged daily from the world around her. Few people penetrate her shell; one of them is Mr. Freeman, her art teacher, who works with her to help her express what she has so deeply repressed. When the unthinkable happens--the same upperclassman who raped her at the party attacks her again--something within the new Melinda says no, and in repelling her attacker, she becomes whole again. The plot is gripping and the characters are powerfully drawn, but it is its raw and unvarnished look at the dynamics of the high school experience that makes this a novel that will be hard for readers to forget.

Booklist: Having broken up an end-of-summer party by calling the police, high-school freshman Melinda Sordino begins the school year as a social outcast. She's the only person who knows the real reason behind her call: she was raped at the party by Andy Evans, a popular senior at her school. Slowly, with the help of an eccentric and understanding art teacher, she begins to recover from the trauma, only to find Andy threatening her again. Melinda's voice is distinct, unusual, and very real as she recounts her past and present experiences in bitterly ironic, occasionally even amusing vignettes. In her YA fiction debut, Anderson perfectly captures the harsh conformity of high-school cliques and one teen's struggle to find acceptance from her peers. Melinda's sarcastic wit, honesty, and courage make her a memorable character whose ultimate triumph will inspire and empower readers.

VOYA: Melinda is a high school freshman with a devastating secret--a popular upper class jock raped her at a party over the summer. Wise enough to call 911, she was too stunned to speak when the police arrived, so the entire school thinks she did it just to break up the party. Shunned by her old friends and even by people she does not know, she spends her first year of high school alienated and unable to concentrate. She communicates with her absentee parents through notes on the fridge--a practice her parents encourage, since they are not interested in talking about anything except her falling grades. Melinda's only refuge is art class, where her nonconformist teacher encourages self-expression through artwork. Finally, she finds the courage to speak out and face her demons. Readers will easily identify with Melinda, a realistic, likeable character. Anderson portrays a large suburban high school with a fresh and authentic eye--all the cliques are there, from the jocks, to the Goths, to the "Marthas" (Martha Stewart wanna-bes). This extremely well-written book has current slang, an accurate portrayal of high school life, and engaging characters. By using a conversational, first-person narrative, the author takes the reader into Melinda's world. This powerful story has an important lesson: never be afraid to speak up for yourself.

Connections:

This book contains many tender subjects, best discussed in the privacy of close friends, family members, or teachers. Hopefully through reading Speak, teens will learn the pain that bullying can cause a person. In small groups, have students discuss times when they have felt like an outcast. What could have been done to change the situation? Will they deal with a similar situation differently after reading this Melinda’s story? Assign an art project similar to Mr. Freeman’s assignment. Encourage readers to use emotion in their artwork.

Related Titles:

Anderson, Laurie Halse. Wintergirls. New York: Viking, 2009.

Asher, Jay. Thirteen Reasons Why. New York: Razorbill, 2007.

Crocker, Nancy. Billie Standish Was Here. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2007.

Dessen, Sarah. Dreamland. London: Hodder Children’s, 2002. 

Dessen, Sarah. The Truth About Forever. New York: Viking, 2004.

Vizzini, Ned. It’s Kind of a Funny Story. New York: Hyperion, 2006. 

Joey Pigza Loses Control

Written by: Jack Gantos

Published by: Harper Collins, 2000

ISBN 0-06-441022-6

Plot Summary:

Joey Pigza is a young buy who is learning to cope with his attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Now, since Joey is taking medicine that controls his behavior (somewhat), he is able to visit his father for the summer. Joey’s dad and Joey are both “wired,” and they both wear patches: Joey contain ADHD medicine and his dad’s contain nicotine.  Joey’s dad decides to teach Joey how stop a woman (Joey’s mother) from running his life, and encourages him to go without his patches. Joey’s highest hope is that he can be a “normal” kid without the medicine, but this is far from the truth. During Joey’s summer with his dad he learns to drive, pitch a baseball, take care of his empysemic grandmother, and skydive. But most of all, Joey learns the importance of maturing and telling the truth.

Critical Analysis:

“Before I had gone to special ed and got my new meds it would have been impossible for me to sit still and make a list of good and bad things…But after I got my good meds, which were in a patch I stuck on my body every day…I started thinking about the good things I wanted to happen. And the best part about thinking good things was that now I could make them come true instead of having everything I wanted blow up in my face.”

Joey Pigza Loses Control is a touching, entertaining, and, at times, painfully truthful story. Most people can relate to a guy like Joey. Always hyper, often causing trouble, but caring and well-meaning. Joey is especially relatable to children who have ADHD, and the book truly gives readers an insight into the mind of a child with an attention disorder. The language used in Joey’s thoughts and conversations is so true to life. Reader’s will get so caught up in Joey’s thoughts that they will be rooting for him to win and succeed in his various challenges. The plot of this story is fast moving, believable, and engaging. Joey’s mind doesn’t stay in one place for long, so readers are sure to be entertained. The majority of the story takes place in Pittsburgh, where Joey’s father lives, but throughout the story, the specific setting changes from a baseball field, to a shopping mall, and to a pizza parlor, all relatable places for young children. By the end of the story, Joey learns the importance of balancing making his own decisions and listening to outside influences, a subject in which everyone could use a refresher course. Readers will be laughing, nervous, and even teary-eyed by the end of this touching and true to life story.

Awards and Reviews:

Booklist Editor’s Choice (2000)

ALSC Notable Children’s Book (2001)

John Newbery Medal (2001)

School Library Journal Best Books (2000)

Horn Book Fanfare (2000)

Kirkus Reviews: As if Joey didn't get into enough trouble in his unforgettable debut, "Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key "(1998), Gantos has him wig out again in this sad, scary, blackly funny sequel. His hyperactivity under control thanks to new meds, Joey is looking forward to a six-week stay with his father Carter, hoping for some bonding. Unfortunately, his mother's warning: ". . . he can be, you know, wired like you, only he's "bigger"." understates the case. As a father, not to say a human being, Carter turns out to be appallingly dysfunctional: irresponsible, utterly self-centered, domineering, callous, and ominously short-fused. Smart enough to see through his father's loud assertions that he's turned over a new leaf, Joey nonetheless struggles to please, even when Carter flushes Joey's medication down the toilet, insisting that real men only need willpower to solve their personal problems. Joey tries to tough it out, hoping (despite bitter experience) that this time he won't go spinning off. Swept along by Joey's breathless narrative, readers will share his horrified fascination as, bit by bit, he watches the bad old habits and behavior come back. Joey's emphysemic Grandma, alternating drags on a cigarette with whiffs of oxygen as she trundles about the neighborhood in a shopping cart, and his Chihuahua Pablo, who survives both being locked in a glove compartment and having his ear pierced by a dart, provide the closest thing to comic relief here. The situation takes a dangerous turn when Joey eggs Carter into a wild rage; fortunately, his mother is just a phone call away, waiting in the wings to bail him out. Carter is truly frightening, a vision of what Joey could grow up to be, did he not possess the inner honesty to acknowledge his limitations (eventually), and caring adults to help him. A tragic tale in many ways, but a triumph too.

Booklist: Joey's life has improved since Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key (1998); patches containing his "good meds" control his hyperactivity, and though he would never be mistaken for a calm child (well illustrated by the incident when he accidentally pierces his dog's ear with a dart), he is usually able to stop and think before he gets into trouble. Joey isn't crazy about spending time with the father he has never met, but he hopes that his Dad "will love me." Carter Pigza is "wired" just like Joey, but the patch he wears is for nicotine, and he regularly peels it off to smoke. He likes to think deep thoughts while gazing at the Humpty Dumpty at the miniature golf course late at night, and he comes to the conclusion that both he and Joey need to do the manly thing and get rid of their patches. Joey remembers all too well how he felt before he got his medicine, but he tries hard to make his dad proud. In tremendously poignant scenes, he struggles valiantly to do what his mother has told him: think just one thought at a time. But as his medicine wears off, he gradually loses control. Gantos has given Joey a remarkably vivid personality, and, blending irrepressible humor with a powerful depiction of a child's longing for normalcy, he has written a dead-on portrayal of a young person assessing the often self-serving behavior of the adults who control his life. Few children these days don't know someone wrestling with ADHD; meeting up with Joey is a fine way to gain insight into the problems "hyper" children face. But the story is more than message. Ganto's skillful pacing, sly humor, and in-depth characterization make it a truly memorable read.

VOYA: In this sequel to Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key (Farrar Straus Giroux, 1998/VOYA February 1999), Joey begins his visit with his father on a relatively even keel because of the medication he takes to treat his attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). It is not, however, an easy father-and-son reunion, as Carter Pigza is an adult version of the non-medicated Joey, so wired that "a humming sound [comes] out of his body." Joey pitches for the baseball team that his father coaches, and Carter has plans for a winning season. Joey handles the demanding role of being the hotshot pitcher-son of the coach until Carter decides that Joey is a normal kid who does not need "crutches" and flushes Joey's medicine down the toilet. Although he wants to believe in his father, Joey knows that it will not be long before the old wired Joey comes back. The reader is drawn into Joey's struggle for self-control while his medication wears off and as his father's behavior becomes more erratic with the increased consumption of alcohol. Through Joey's narration, Gantos brilliantly portrays the often-manic pace of an ADHD mind, but he alleviates the tension with touches of humor. Joey accidentally pierces his Chihuahua Pablo's ear with a wayward dart and wants to put an earring in the hole. His mother is not amused, although the reader cannot help but smile at Joey's antics. Joey is a young teen struggling to maintain control in an often out-of-control world, a struggle with which many teens will relate. Gantos's style of writing and the subject matter make this book a great middle school read-aloud.

Connections:

Author Jack Gantos began writing as a young child by keeping journals. Have students or patrons start writing about their humorous, emotional, or challenging experiences in journals. If you must grade the assignment, use only a participation grade. Allow students to be confident in the fact they will be the only person reading their journals, as some may want to include personal stories.

Related Titles:

Cheaney, J.B. The Middle of Somewhere. New York: Alfred A Knoph, 2007.

Cook, Julia. It’s Hard To Be a Verb. Chattanooga: National Center for Youth Issues, 2010.

Gantos, Jack. I Am Not Joey Pigza. New York: Straus and Giroux, 2007.

Janover, Caroline. Zipper, the Kid with ADHD. Bethesda: Woodbine House, 1997. 

Lunch Lady and the League of Librarians

Written by: Jarret J. Krosoczka

Illustrated by: Jarret J. Krosoczka

Published by: Puffin Books, 1986

ISBN 0-525-44265-0

Plot Summary:

“Serving justice! And serving lunch!”

After the Breakfast Club finds out that the school librarian is out to destroy all video games, including the X-Station 5000, they alert their undercover, crime fighting lunch lady and her sidekick, Betty. Using her spork phone, celery staff, and linguini lasso, the lunch lady is able to terminate the librarian’s plans.

Critical Analysis:

Lunch Lady and the League of Librarians is a comical and clever story of an unlikely super hero. Since the Lunch Lady stories are short and speedy, the characters in the story are not very well defined, but they definitely exhibit clear motives.  The story is set in an unspecific school, which helps all readers relate to the story. The plot is quick and exciting, so the story is a fast and easy read. The simple wording and large font makes this book a great pick for struggling readers. Readers will have so much fun reading this series, they’ll forget they are holding a book. The simple black and white illustrations, highlighted in bright yellow, are quirky and exaggerated. The story displays the classic theme of good vs. evil, and, in this case, good triumphs over evil. It’s refreshing to see the character of the lunch lady glorified in these books, and after reading, students will be begging their lunch ladies to show them to their secret lairs.

Awards and Reviews:

Choices (Cooperative Children’s Book Center) (2010)

School Library Journal: When not serving up French fries and gravy to students, Lunch Lady escapes to her secret kitchen lair to lead the life of a crime fighter. Using an assortment of lunch-themed gadgets (created by her sidekick Betty), she is definitely a quirky superhero. Tipped off by the Breakfast Bunch (three students who discovered Lunch Lady's crime-fighting alter ego in Book 1), she attempts to foil the plans of the evil League of Librarians, who seek to destroy all video games. The black-and-white pen-and-ink illustrations have splashes of yellow in nearly every panel. The clean layout, featuring lots of open space, is well suited for the intended audience. Terrence, Hector, and Dee become more developed in this second installment in the series, especially Dee, who asserts herself as the strong-willed leader of the group. The winking references to book fairs, read-a-thon enrollment, and media specialists fit well with the story line. With its appealing mix of action and humor, this clever, entertaining addition to the series should have wide appeal.

Children’s Literature: When her Apple Alarm alerts her to a crime in progress, crime fighter Lunch Lady knows it is time to leap into action! Armed with her Taco-Vision Night Goggles and aided by her trusty sidekick/assistant server Betty, Lunch Lady serves up justice to everyone from muggers to crime syndicates, but, when Lunch Lady’s young informants, the Breakfast Bunch, alert her to an evil plot by the League of Librarians to destroy all video games, can even a super-powered cafeteria worker stop a group of villains capable of sending an evil Black Stallion or Cheshire Cat against her? Inspired by author/artist Jarret J. Krosoczka’s crazy ideas about his own elementary school lunch lady, much of the book’s humor comes from Lunch Lady’s cafeteria-themed gadgets, including the Spork Phone, Hairnet Nets, and Sonic Boom Juice Box. For a graphic novel meant to encourage reading, however, the story delivers some mixed messages about librarians, as the librarians are portrayed as video game-hating villains who knock people out with dictionaries and attack superheroes with evil versions of literary characters. At one point, the heroes even toss the librarians’ books into the river to defeat the villains. Overall, the book plays with some clever concepts and provides some diversionary entertainment but is not particularly filling.

Connections: Have children write and illustrate their own shortened comic strip about their lunch ladies saving the day and gift the comic strips to the school lunch ladies. Brainstorm new lunchroom related spy gadgets.

Related Titles:

Gutman, Dan. Mrs. LaGrange Is Strange. New York: Harper Trophy, 2005.

Gutman, Dan. Mrs. Roopy Is Loopy. New York: Harper Trophy, 2004.

Krosoczka, Jarret J. Lunch Lady and the Author Visit Vendetta. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2009.

Krosoczka, Jarret J. Lunch Lady and the Cyborg Substitute. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2009.

Krosoczka, Jarret J. Lunch Lady and the Bake Sale Bandit. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2010.

Loehr, Patrick. Mucumber McGee and the Lunch Lady’s Liver. New York: Katherine Tegen Books, 2008.

Pierce, Lincoln. Big Nate Our Loud. Kansas City: Andrews McMeel Publishing, 2011.

Sachar, Lewis. Sideways Stories from Wayside School. New York: Harper Trophy, 1978.

Sachar, Lewis. Wayside School Gets a Little Stranger. New York: Harper Trophy, 1995.

Sachar Lewis. Wayside School Is Falling Down. New York: Harper Trophy, 1989.