Speak (National Book Award Finalist)

Description: A fiercely authentic, critically acclaimed and award-winning modern classic. 'Speak up for yourself - we want to know what you have to say.' From my first day at Merryweather High, I know this is a lie. Nobody will even talk to me, let alone listen - all because I called the cops on an end-of-summer party. But if I could only tell everyone why I called the police that night... If I could explain what happened to me... If I could speak... Then everything might change. 'With the rise of women finding their voices and speaking out about sexual assault in the media, this should be on everyone's radar... Powerful, necessary, and essential.' - Kirkus Author Biography: Laurie Halse Anderson is the 2023 winner of the prestigious Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award. Laurie is also a New York Times-bestselling author, known for tackling tough subjects with humor and sensitivity. Her work has earned numerous awards and accolades. Laurie was the proud recipient of the 2009 Margaret A. Edwards Award given by YALSA division of the American Library Association for her 'significant and lasting contribution to young adult literature'. Mother of four and wife of one, Laurie lives in Northern New York, where she likes to watch the snow fall as she writes. She and her husband, Scot, plus dogs Kezzie and Thor, and assorted chickens and other critters enjoy country living and time in the woods. When not writing or hanging out with her family, you can find Laurie training for marathons or rying to coax tomatoes out of the rocky soil in her backyard. You can follow her adventures on Twitter, http://twitter.com/halseanderson, and on her blog, http://madwomanintheforest.com/blog/. A powerful novel with a believable, bitterly ironic teenage heroine, following her through her first year at high school, from outcast to acceptance.