Anderson, L. H.  (1999). Speak.  NY:  Penguin

Speak is a story about Melinda Sordino who attends a party and is raped by a popular senior boy while there.  She calls the police and has the party busted, but she doesn’t report the incident out of fear.  Her friends turn on her when they realize that she was the source of the phone call.  Struggling through the school year, she finds solace in the art room where she is inspired by her art teacher to “create.”  This opportunity to cope with her feelings gives her the chance to open up and “speak” about this terrible incident.  Using her artwork, Melinda regains her confidence and begins telling her story in pieces.  When Andy attempts to rape her again, Melinda shatters a mirror and holds one of the pieces to his neck threatening him.  The lacrosse team hears the screaming and comes to her rescue.  Once the truth is told Melinda is free from her own mind and finally accepted.

This book deals with the modern and still taboo issue of sexual assault.  Other books that deal with some of the same themes as Spear are, Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes, and My Heartbeat.  It is most appropriate for grades 9 – 12 based on the content.  The reading level is a 690L so the vocabulary is simple enough for the struggling reader.   It is a work of Realistic Fiction and deals with the issues of adapting to high school, bullying and sexual assault/abuse.  Obviously this text is going to appeal primarily to girls.  While the vocabulary is suitable for younger grades the language and violence in the text could be deemed inappropriate.