# Speak

**Author:** Laurie Halse Anderson
**Lexile:** 690L
**Grade range:** Grades 8–10
**Age range:** 13–16
**First published:** 1999
**Page count:** 224
**Genre:** Young Adult Fiction
**ISBN-13:** `9780141310886`
**ISBN-10:** `014131088X`
**Canonical URL:** https://readinglist.school/book/speak
**License:** [CC BY 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) — please credit ReadingList.school when citing.

## About this book

High-school freshman Melinda Sordino enters ninth grade having called the police on an end-of-summer party — but no one knows why. Anderson's novel reveals gradually what happened and tracks Melinda's path back to speech. Frequently taught in 9th-10th grade English and in library/counselor resource lists.

## Themes

- sexual assault and recovery
- voice and silence
- mental health
- identity
- school social dynamics

## Content notes

- sexual assault (central)
- depression
- self-harm
- trauma recovery

Common Sense Media age recommendation: 13+

## Where this book is assigned

### Common Core State Standards (ELA)

- **recommended** · 9th grade — [source: CCSS ELA Appendix B, grades 9-10 exemplar](https://achievethecore.org/page/2699)
- **recommended** · 9th grade · New York — [source: NY Next Gen Learning Standards grade 9 aligned reading](https://www.nysed.gov/)

## Banned / challenged record

Documented removals or formal challenges in at least one school district in 5 states: TX, FL, MO, IA, UT. Source: [PEN America's Index of School Book Bans](https://pen.org/banned-book-list/) 2022-2024.

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