Speak (Video)

Think adults don't understand the incredibly tragic depths of teen suffering?

Shmoop's gonna let you in on a little secret: All adults were teens once. Even your teachers were. Even Shmoop was. And Speak's author, Laurie Halse Anderson, recalls the pain and humor of teendom so well, she's won billions of writing awards for it.

This 16-part video course is on Anderson's contemporary coming-of-age classic, Speak. It tells the story of Melinda Sordino, a high school freshman who's dealing with the trials and tribulations of high school like cliques, homework, and gym class, but that's on top of a truly scary thing that happened to her over the summer. Shunned by her peers, misunderstood by her parents, and tormented by her past, Melinda has no one to speak to about her struggles.

(This doesn't count as a spoiler, btw—the book is called Speak; Anderson foreshadows like it's her job.)

Over the course of these 16 video lessons, you'll:

• learn about Melinda's deep dark secret and the monster she's running from.
• get a backstage pass to Melinda's thoughts and feelings, and how she experiences her day-to-day life.
• learn how to spot literary devices like irony and foreshadowing, and analyze the book's setting, symbols, and themes.
• reflect on the importance of art in healing, and think about the different ways in which people can express their feelings and let go of painful pasts.

Here's a sneak peek at a video from the course. BYOP (bring your own popcorn).

Unit Breakdown