Speak

April 2, 2014 by Karen Jensen, MLS

#SpeakforRAINN15 – Celebrating 15 Years of Speak by Raising Money for RAINN

Fifteen years ago, the novel Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson was released. Today, this novel is a classic that still speaks to the heart of teens everywhere. I have teens regularly come in and ask for this book. Speak is the story of Melinda, who has stopped speaking. As a survivor of a sexual assault, Melinda […]

February 19, 2014 by Karen Jensen, MLS

Loud and Clear: A Reflection on Teaching SPEAK by Laurie Halse Anderson in the Classroom (a guest post by author Eric Devine)

As part of the #SVYALit project, we reached out to author Eric Devine and asked him to write. We wanted to make sure that male voices are heard in the discussion. And he is an awesome writer and teacher. Today he shares with us his experiences of teaching Speak in the classroom. Please note, we […]

August 29, 2013 by Karen Jensen, MLS

Take 5: Important Books on a Difficult Topic – Sexual Violence in the Lives of Teens

When I lost my baby, I went into a deep, dark hole. The only thing that helped me claw my way out of the darkness was to read books about other women having a miscarriage. It helped me know that I wasn’t alone, that what I was feeling was perfectly normal, and that I could […]

More Recent Posts

Because No Always Means No: a list of titles dealing with rape and sexual harassment

May 7, 2013 by Karen Jensen, MLS

April was Sexual Assault Awareness Month. And we had a lot to say about it. The bottom line, no means no (and silence doesn’t mean yes). That should be the message – always. It’s what we need to be teaching all people, both boys and girls, at all ages. Respecting others is at the heart […]

10 Perks of Being a Wallflower (by Heather B)

October 9, 2012 by Karen Jensen, MLS

“We accept the love we think we deserve.” I first read The Perks of Being a Wallflower soon after it was published and was completely taken. I passed it to my younger brother, still in high school, who said something like, “If they gave us stuff like that to read in school, I might still […]