Speak 1
Speak for book groups or the classroom Laurie Hal
se Anderson has said that she chooses to write about topics that are important to young people: topics they need a chance to talk and think about. In her speech of thanks in May 2023, she said, “Stories open doors to conversation and growth.” But sometimes we need a little help to get conversations going that are exploratory and rich in perspectives. Below are questions you may wish to use before, during, and after reading Speak. Where curriculums call for the integrated teaching of subjects such as sex education across the curriculum, Speak is an excellent choice. Subject teachers and school health teams can collaborate on teaching Anderson’s text, which opens many doors to conversations about difficult topics! Before reading To spark curiosity and interest, it’s a good idea to help readers familiarize themselves with the book before starting to read. You can reflect together on: The title • Speak is a call to action. To whom might this call be directed? What kinds of situations might make a call to “speak” seem necessary? Why might someone not want to “speak”? The cover • Look carefully at the cover. What does it suggest about the contents? If possible, show different covers from different editions (perhaps including editions in different languages) and compare them. The dedication • The novel Speak has a dedication in which author Laurie Halse Anderson writes: “To Sandy Bernstein, who helped me find my
