trauma – Mrs. Kinnamore’s Bookshelf

Very rarely does a book have such a powerful opening page that I am compelled to comment out loud as I’m reading. This book did, and I struggled to put it down.

This young adult novel allows readers to get to know Vera Dietz in the aftermath of a terribly tragic loss in her life. As Vera works through the days and months that follow burying her childhood best friend and neighbor, she must deal with inner conflicts that have gone unmended between her and her father, her and her mother, and most importantly between her and herself because her conflict with her friend Charlie is now amplified by his death. Dealing with death and loss is never easy, and dealing with death and loss that is surrounded in lies tangled up in guilt and shame and anger is even more difficult.

The author wrote this book mainly from Vera’s perspective, with brief inserts to allow the reader to hear from the other characters – including the dead kid. This opens the reader’s mind to the different sides of each conflict between the characters. The story is often raw and painfully direct, written in a way that makes the characters seem very real. I know that I kept reading because the more I read, the more questions I had about what happened to Vera? What happened to Charlie? What really happened at the neighbors house? Was there something more sinister between the characters? Sometimes my questions were answered, sometimes I was given just enough information to create new questions and still leave me wondering.

Vera was wondering, too. Her questions and inner conflicts finally grew to become so heavy that she could no longer ignore them. Although it was not easy, she found a way to come to terms with some of the turmoil in her life and a way to make peace enough to move forward.

I can see this book being well suited for the upper middle school and high school classroom. I believe that the students may relate to the characters while being intrigued by the suspense of trying to piece together what happened to Vera’s friend Charlie the night he died. I believe it would be interesting to read this book in small groups with students to hear their take on the conflicts that Vera is struggling with, and how they interpret each character and situation. Students could discuss or even just be prompted to think about What should Vera do? What would I do? This book is a longer read, and may be best suited for readers with more experience and stamina to read independently. If a teacher is interested in motivating students to read for themselves, this book would make a great first chapter read aloud to capture their attention.

Ideas for Classroom Incorporation of Please Ignore Vera Dietz

ELA: point of view, types of conflict, vocabulary, character traits, plot

Social/Emotional: relationships, social justice, personal responsibility, self-control, secrets vs. confidential, making mistakes, restoration

This young adult novel addresses the impact of sexual trauma and how one freshman student tries to navigate life after rape. This very real topic that has become a part of too many lives is brought to the forefront of the conversation as the main character Melinda Sordino struggles to find her place in her high school community after the event that changed everything.

This book was a new read for me and the topic and cover art intrigued me. Author Laurie Halse Anderson tackles the painful topic of sexual assault in this young adult novel. While this topic makes people uncomfortable – and silent, Anderson brings this conversation forward using the voice of the main character Melinda. As a female adult, I have experienced high school and all the typically teenage challenges that range from school culture, student groups or clans as named in Speak, and the emotional roller coaster of finding my own feet. Now imagine compounding all of those challenges with the addition of a life altering trauma. Narrated by Melinda, readers hear what this freshman is thinking as she moves forward returning to school with a new reputation and tainted perspective.

Melinda tries to become invisible in her high school and finds an outlet in the year long assigned art project to transform a tree into an object that makes a statement. Just as Melinda’s friend Ivy describes Melinda’s art as scary, the kind of scary you don’t want to look at for too long, Speak opens up a delicate topic by looking at the person behind the trauma. Melinda is more than a victim, and one event should not and does not define who she is.

There is power in the ability to speak your own truth. This book tackles a topic that too often is not spoken about. While describing the topic as sensitive, controversial, and delicate we still avoid calling it by name. Laurie Halse Anderson puts into words what so many cannot, or have struggled to verbalize.

As a teacher, I appreciate the value of this book and the story that unfolds from it’s pages. I can also admit that it would make me very uncomfortable using it in the classroom. Defensively I will say that I believe my students are too young, or that the topic is too mature. Honestly I know that students endure trauma of all sorts and it the very things that make common society uncomfortable need to be addressed in a way that allows our children to heal and move forward.

After reading Speak, I would suggest this selection for 8th grade classes and above. The content invites students and teachers to make connections to the text to extend personal and academic growth. This age group is preparing to enter the highly social realm of high school and all that that entails. They are aware of mature and sensitive topics, and they are still bold enough to speak up and speak their minds.

Ideas for Classroom Incorporation of Speak:

ELA – symbolism, point-of-view, inferencing, expository writing, vocabulary, summarizing, visualization
Social/Emotional – personal trauma, social interaction, school culture, behavior, reporting procedures, community resources