book report on speak

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by Laurie Halse Anderson

• Speak Summary

Speak tells the story of Melinda Sordino , a ninth grader at Merryweather High School in Syracuse, New York. August before her freshman year, Melinda and her closest friends attend a party with seniors and beer. At the party, Melinda feels uncomfortable and out of place. She gulps down a couple beers before walking outside for some fresh air. While outside, Melinda meets Andy Evans , an attractive senior boy. Andy begins dancing with and kissing Melinda, and Melinda is taken aback but too drunk to say anything. Andy pushes her to the ground and rapes her. In her confusion afterward, Melinda dials 911 and the police arrive at the party, but Melinda finds herself unable to tell anyone what happened. When the entire school discovers that Melinda broke up the party and got some students arrested, her friends stop speaking to her. No one knows that she was raped.

She arrives friendless on her first day of ninth grade and receives angry glares from strangers. She decides that speaking only hurts her, and remains mostly silent. Melinda slips into depression and her grades suffer. She finds an abandoned janitor's closet and makes it her sanctuary.

Initially, Melinda is befriended by Heather , a new girl from Ohio. However, Heather is eager to be a part of the social scene and she soon joins a clan known as "the Marthas." Heather realizes that having Melinda as a friend hurts her social reputation, and she tells Melinda that they can no longer spend time together. As Melinda sinks deeper into depression, she begins to skip class. Her parents and teachers notice, but believe that it is just an immature attention-seeking ploy. Only her art teacher, Mr. Freeman , observes Melinda's depressed behavior. He encourages her to use her voice and shows interest in her artwork. Melinda also befriends her lab partner, David Petrakis . Like Mr. Freeman, David pushes Melinda to speak up.

Over the course of the school year, the story of Melinda's past unfolds. She begins to admit to herself what happened and gradually stops running away from the memory of it. She still, however, remains silent. In the spring, her former best friend, Rachel , begins to date Andy Evans. Horrified by this, Melinda knows that she must warn Rachel about the danger of spending time with Andy. Melinda opens up to Rachel about the rape by exchanging notes with her in the library. Rachel is receptive until Melinda names Andy the perpetrator, at which point she angrily leaves the room. However, Rachel does, in fact, listen to Melinda's story. The next weekend, she publicly leaves and humiliates Andy at the prom.

The following week, Melinda decides she is ready to move out of her janitor's closet. She no longer feels like hiding. While cleaning it out, however, Andy enters and locks her in the room with him. Angry that she talked to Rachel, Andy attempts to rape Melinda a second time. This time, however, Melinda screams and fights back. The lacrosse team hears Melinda's cries and rescues her from Andy. By the next day, everyone knows Andy and Melinda's history. Melinda's popularity skyrockets.

In the last chapter of the novel, Melinda sits in Mr. Freeman's room on the final day of school finishing up her yearlong art project. After she turns it in, Mr. Freeman gives her an A+. He says that he knows she has been through a lot. Prompted by this statement, Melinda decides to tell Mr. Freeman her entire story. The Melinda we see at the end of the novel is not the same Melinda that arrived friendless on her first day of ninth grade. This Melinda is ready to accept what happened and is prepared to seek help. This Melinda speaks.

Speak Questions and Answers

The Question and Answer section for Speak is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel.

What aspect of The Scarlet Letter does Hairwoman seem obsessed with?

Hairwoman is obsessed with the symbolism in The Scarlet Letter.

How is Mr. Freeman keeping track of grades in his art class?

Mr. Frreman doesn't give grades, but rather, evaluates his students' work and paints his evaluations in a list on the wall.

what problems are people having with mr.freemans assignment? what advice does he give to help them? from pages 20-26

Mr. Freeman's assignment is rather abstract. He wants students to pick an object that metaphorically speaks to the person who views it. I think Mr. Freeman tells them to listen to themselves.

Study Guide for Speak

Speak study guide contains a biography of Laurie Halse Anderson, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.

• About Speak
• Character List

Essays for Speak

Speak essays are academic essays for citation. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson.

• The Power of Words: A Speak Analysis
• From Wishbones to Wings: The Symbolism of Birds in "Speak"
• The Factors That Helped Melinda Recover
• Sexual Assault in Speak

Lesson Plan for Speak

• About the Author
• Study Objectives
• Common Core Standards
• Introduction to Speak
• Relationship to Other Books
• Bringing in Technology
• Notes to the Teacher
• Related Links
• Speak Bibliography

Wikipedia Entries for Speak

• Introduction
• Literature and film
• Organizations

• Non-Fiction
• Author’s Corner
• Reader’s Corner
• Writing Guide
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Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

Finding Your Voice: A Powerful Tale of Speaking Up

Title: Speak

Author: Laurie Halse Anderson

Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux

Genre: Contemporary, Young Adult

First Publication: 1999

Language:  English

Major Characters: Ivy Hall, Heather, Nichole Smythe Burnell, Melinda Sordino, Andy Evans, David Petrakis, Mr. Freeman, Rachel Bruin

Setting Place: Syracuse, New York (United States)

Theme: Communication versus Silence, Appearance versus Reality, Family and Friendship, Isolation, Loneliness, and Depression, Memory and Trauma

Narrator:  First Person

Book Summary: Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

From the first moment of her freshman year at Merryweather High, Melinda knows this is a big fat lie, part of the nonsense of high school. She is friendless, outcast, because she busted an end-of-summer party by calling the cops, so now nobody will talk to her, let alone listen to her. As time passes, she becomes increasingly isolated and practically stops talking altogether.

Only her art class offers any solace, and it is through her work on an art project that she is finally able to face what really happened at that terrible party: she was raped by an upperclassman, a guy who still attends Merryweather and is still a threat to her.

Her healing process has just begun when she has another violent encounter with him . But this time Melinda fights back, refuses to be silent, and thereby achieves a measure of vindication.

Book Review: Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson is a character driven novel about a girl named Melinda who has just started high school. She is withdrawn, feels like an outcast, and has troubling talking as a result of being raped at a party over the summer. The story is a coming of age for Melinda as she learns how speaking up can be a good thing.

At the start of her Freshman year, Melinda finds herself a social pariah, having been dumped by all of her friends after attending a summer bash gone wrong, resulting in Melinda calling the cops and earning herself a leper status. While the events that occurred at the party remain a mystery until nearly the end of the story, Melinda’s torment, shame and silence are evident from page one.

As a reader, it is not hard to guess what happened that night, but everyone in Melinda’s life are completely oblivious as to what plagues her day in and day out. What follows is a truly heart wrenching story about a broken girl  trying puzzle out the pieces of herself.

When people don’t express themselves, they die one piece at a time.

What makes Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson great is the time when it was published. This book was published in 1999, almost 20 years ago. Twenty years ago, the YA genre didn’t exist. When Laurie Halse Anderson tried to get this published, a publisher emailed her back and said “it’s good, but teens don’t like reading”. The YA genre didn’t really become what it is today until after Twilight was published.

The first person narrative is fluid and natural. The paragraphs are short. To a large extent, this feels like a journal written by the narrator Melinda. To pull the reader closer to the action, the book is written in the present tense, so we’re encountering everything directly alongside Melinda. Melinda is struggling with her voice and with trying to figure out how to communicate her troubles and with whom.

You have to know what you stand for, not just what you stand against.

As the reader, we are the only one she truly communicates with. But even with us, she holds back. She keeps us at arms length so we don’t penetrate her wall and expose her pain and vulnerability. The voice is uniquely teenage and is a good portrayal of the thoughts of a teenage girl ostracized by her friends as she begins her Freshman year.

Art without emotion its like chocolate cake without sugar. It makes you gag.

I watched the movie right after I finished, and it’s a very faithful adaptation of the book that successfully captures the tone of the novel. If you enjoyed the book at all I would highly recommend giving movie a watch. Kristen Stewart actually played Melinda. She was fourteen years old when the movie was shot, and she did such a beautiful job of conveying Melinda’s emotions while having minimal dialogue.

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A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.

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Character Analysis

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Summary and Study Guide

Speak is a young-adult realistic fiction novel by Laurie Halse Anderson, first published in 1999. It follows the plight of a teenager, Melinda , who was raped at age 13 and struggles to put her life back together and find her voice . Anderson has written several young adult novels, all of which address pressing issues for teens honestly and empathetically. She was honored with the Margaret A. Edwards award for her important and relevant contributions to the young adult genre . Speak was a National Book Award finalist, a Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year, and an Edgar Allan Poe Award finalist, among many other awards and nominations. Anderson continues to receive letters from readers about how Speak has impacted their lives and helped them through difficult times and similar experiences, and she speaks to as many youths as possible about her book. At the novel's end, Anderson includes resources for survivors of sexual assault, which serves as one last reminder of her desire to help those who feel voiceless be heard.

This guide utilizes the 2011 publication of the novel.

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Content Warning: This novel deals with topics such as sexual assault of a minor, child abuse, and verbal abuse.

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Speak is divided into four parts, each one being a marking period for the school year. It starts as school and the first marking period begin, and it is Melinda’s first year of high school. She attends Merryweather High School and starts her first day with nobody to talk to or sit with. Melinda is insecure and shy, as anyone would be in a new place; she also has a secret that she keeps deep within herself: She was raped at a summer party that she attended with her then-best friend, Rachel , by a senior named Andy Evans . The shock and terror from the experience clouded Melinda’s mind at the time, but she was able to call the police. In a moment of panic, she left the house before they arrived and never told anyone her story. On top of this, she has not spoken about the rape to any of her old friends or her parents. Instead, she keeps it to herself, which eats away at her self-esteem and ability to enjoy her life.

Melinda has several teachers with unique personalities: Mr. Neck is the social studies teacher who always seems to be angry and is eventually revealed to be racist; Ms. Keen is the biology teacher who makes biology fun for Melinda; Hairwoman is the old English teacher who gives out tough assignments but whose class Melinda still enjoys; Melinda’s Spanish teacher refuses to speak English, which creates several humorous moments; Mr. Freeman is the art teacher and the teacher who influences Melinda the most throughout the novel. At the beginning of the year, Mr. Freeman announces a year-long project in which students will pick the name of a random object out of a broken globe and spend the year trying to turn that object into vibrant, living art. Melinda picks the word “tree,” and trees become symbols for her and her personal growth out and above her trauma.

Melinda’s home life is not much more welcoming than her school life. Her mother is always stressed and working, and her father often seems on edge. Melinda does not speak to her parents at all, remaining totally silent for several months. She often hears them arguing at top volume. Melinda often has trouble completing her homework at home, as she is often a victim of verbal abuse. At school, Melinda steals several late passes and discovers an abandoned closet, which she makes her new hiding place, decorating it with a Maya Angelou poster and eventually her art creations.

Melinda becomes friends with a new girl named Heather . Heather is desperate to fit into the school cliques. Melinda does not care about that but needs a friend, so she spends much of her time with Heather anyway. It slowly becomes clear that Heather is only using Melinda until she becomes popular; she does not defend Melinda when people talk poorly about her. Heather finds a clan of girls to hang out with called the Marthas. They help with school fundraisers, volunteer outside school, coordinate outfits, and expect perfection. Heather asks Melinda to help her with her first Martha project, and Melinda agrees. She creates posters for a fundraiser, but the Marthas hate them, and Heather blames Melinda. Meanwhile, Melinda continues to have difficulty speaking, communicating largely in nods and hand gestures.

During the second marking period (autumn), Melinda has a breakthrough in her artwork when she takes the old turkey bones from Thanksgiving dinner and pieces them back together. She adds a Barbie doll head and some twigs for legs and decides that the piece is meant to represent her. Mr. Freeman tells her she is onto something.

Christmas arrives, and Melinda puts up the tree alone. She and her parents sleep in on Christmas day, hand out presents in silence, and then go their separate ways. Melinda wishes she could tell her parents what happened over the summer and why she cannot speak. In biology class, Melinda faints when she has to dissect a dead frog, and it reminds her of how she felt when she was assaulted.

Melinda decides to name Andy Evans “IT.” Until now, she did not call him anything and does not reveal the events that took place until the end of the third marking period. Melinda starts skipping school and thinks more seriously about telling someone what happened to her. Melinda develops a crush on her classmate and lab partner, David Petrakis , who is outspoken and confident and seems not to care about her reputation.

Melinda’s parents and principal hold a meeting with a guidance counselor and determine that Melinda will have an in-school suspension. She must also abide by strict rules and attend all of her classes. Andy Evans begins harassing and taunting Melinda in school, causing her to relive her abuse. In art class, Melinda looks at Picasso’s cubism paintings and feels inspired to create a tree drawing made of tiny, cracked lines. Mr. Freeman approves and advises her to stop thinking about trees when she draws and to think about her emotions instead.

Melinda’s struggle to become an artist unfolds alongside her healing process after being traumatized, thus illustrating the novel’s theme, The Importance of Art as a Form of Self-Expression and Healing . Melinda attends all her classes for a week and is rewarded with new clothes. At the store, she stares at herself in the mirror and does not recognize who she sees; she is changed by her traumatic experience, developing the theme How Personality and Perception Change as a Result of Trauma . At the end of the third marking period, Melinda describes the rape in detail.

As the world begins to thaw outside Melinda’s window, she does too. She slowly starts to speak again and resolves to nurture herself like a seed and grow into who she was before being assaulted. Melinda also starts talking to one of her former friends again. To Melinda’s chagrin, Rachel begins dating Andy, and Melinda realizes she has to tell Rachel about him. In social studies class, Melinda stands up for her right to remain silent when Mr. Neck demands that she deliver her report to the class. She cites the suffragette movement and its fight for freedom. Afterward, David criticizes her, reminding her that suffragettes fought for the right to speak, not to be silent. Melinda considers this carefully.

When Melinda stays home sick from school one day, she watches talk shows and calls her experience “rape” for the first time. Melinda’s relationship with her parents also slowly begins to soften again; she speaks a short phrase to her father, and they spend a relaxing afternoon eating pizza together. Ivy is in Melinda’s art class, and they bond over their struggles to represent their objects. Ivy reveals that she has heard rumors about Andy, which eventually inspires Melinda to write a warning on the bathroom stall, telling other girls to stay away from him.

Days later, Ivy shows Melinda that many other girls have added to the message, writing similar warnings and documenting their experiences. Melinda feels elated to know that she has done something to help. Melinda also finally stands up to Heather. Melinda works up the courage to tell Rachel what happened to her, but Rachel accuses her of lying out of jealousy. It is not until prom that Rachel finally realizes Andy’s true character and dumps him.

In the novel’s final moments, Melinda is attacked in her hideaway closet by Andy. When she screams for help and threatens him with broken glass, he backs off, and the girls on the lacrosse team rescue her. In art class, Melinda finishes her tree illustration. It is not perfect, but she now realizes that is exactly how it should be. She understands what happened to her and that it was not her fault; in the end, she resolves to be a survivor and grow from it. Melinda’s journey is one of Finding One’s Voice After It Has Been Lost .

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Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

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Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson is multiple award-winning books, but it is also listed by the American Library Association as one of the top 100 books challenged between 2000-2009 . Every year several books are challenged and banned across the nation by individuals and organizations who believe the content of the books is inappropriate. In this review you will learn more about the book Speak , the challenges it has received, and what Laurie Halse Anderson and others have to say about the issue of censorship.

Melinda Sardino is a fifteen-year-old sophomore whose life is dramatically and permanently changed the night she attends an end of summer party. At the party, Melinda is raped and calls the police , but doesn’t get the opportunity to report the crime. Her friends, thinking she called to bust the party, shun her and she becomes an outcast.

Once vibrant, popular, and a good student, Melinda has become withdrawn and depressed. She avoids having to talk and doesn’t take care of her physical or mental health. All her grades start to slide, except her Art grade, and she begins to define herself by small acts of rebellion such as refusing to give an oral report and skipping school. Meanwhile, Melinda’s rapist, an older student, subtly taunts her at every opportunity.

Melinda doesn’t reveal the details of her experience until one of her former friends begins to date the same boy who raped Melinda. In an attempt to warn her friend, Melinda writes an anonymous letter and then confronts the girl and explains what really happened at the party. Initially, the former friend refuses to believe Melinda and accuses her of jealousy, but later breaks up with the boy. Melinda is confronted by her rapist who accuses her of destroying his reputation. He attempts to assault Melinda again, but this time she finds the power to speak and screams loudly enough to be heard by other students who are nearby. 

The Controversy and the Censorship

Since its publication release in 1999 Speak has been challenged on its content about rape, sexual assault, and suicidal thoughts. In September of 2010 one Missouri professor wanted the book banned from the Republic School District because he considered the two rape scenes “soft pornography.” His attack on the book elicited a media storm of responses including a statement from the author herself in which she defended her book.

The American Library Association listed Speak as number 60 in the top one hundred books to be banned or challenged between 2000 and 2009. Anderson knew when she wrote this story that it would be a controversial topic, but she is shocked whenever she reads about a challenge to her book. She writes that Speak is about the "emotional trauma suffered by a teen after a sexual assault" and is not soft pornography.

In addition to Anderson's defense of her book, her publishing company, Penguin Young Readers Group, placed a full-page ad in the New York Times to support the author and her book. Penguin spokeswoman Shanta Newlin stated, "That such a decorated book could be challenged is disturbing."

Laurie Halse Anderson and Censorship

Anderson reveals in many interviews that the idea for Speak came to her in a nightmare. In her nightmare, a girl is sobbing, but Anderson did not know the reason until she started to write. As she wrote the voice of Melinda took shape and began to speak. Anderson felt compelled to tell Melinda's story.

With the success of her book (a National Award finalist and a Printz Honor Award) came the backlash of controversy and censorship. Anderson was stunned but found herself in a new position to speak out against censorship. States Anderson, “Censoring books that deal with difficult, adolescent issues does not protect anybody. It leaves kids in the darkness and makes them vulnerable. Censorship is the child of fear and the father of ignorance. Our children cannot afford to have the truth of the world withheld from them.”

Anderson devotes a portion of her website to censorship issues and specifically addresses the challenges to her book Speak. She argues in defense of educating others about sexual assault and lists frightening statistics about young women who have been raped.

Anderson is actively involved in national groups that battle censorship and book banning such as the ABFFE (American Booksellers for Free Expression), the National Coalition Against Censorship, and the Freedom to Read Foundation.

The Recommendation

Speak is a novel about empowerment and it is a book that every teen, especially teen girls, should read. There is a time to be quiet and a time to speak out, and on the issue of sexual assault, a young woman needs to find the courage to raise her voice and ask for help. This is the underlying message of Speak and the message Laurie Halse Anderson is trying to convey to her readers. It must be made clear that Melinda's rape scene is a flashback and there are no graphic details, but implications. The novel is focused on the emotional impact of the act, and not the act itself.

By writing Speak and defending its right to voice an issue, Anderson has opened the door for other authors to write about real teen issues. Not only does this book deal with a contemporary teen issue, but it's an authentic reproduction of the teen voice. Anderson deftly captures the high school experience and understands the teen view of cliques and what it feels like to be an outcast.

We grappled with the age recommendations for some time because this is such an important book that needs to be read. It's a powerful book for discussion and 12 is an age when girls are changing physically and socially. However, we realize that because of the mature content, every 12-year-old may not be ready for the book. Consequently, we recommend it for ages 14 to 18 and, in addition, for those 12 and 13-year-olds with the maturity to handle the topic. The publisher's recommended age for this book is 12 and up.

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Speak : Book summary and reviews of Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

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by Laurie Halse Anderson

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Published Oct 1999 240 pages Genre: Literary Fiction Publication Information

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About this book

Book summary.

Laurie Halse Anderson’s award-winning, highly acclaimed, and controversial novel about a teenager who chooses not to speak rather than to give voice to what really happened to her. "Speak up for yourself - we want to know what you have to say." From the first moment of her freshman year at Merryweather High, Melinda knows that this is a big fat lie, part of the nonsense of high school. She is friendless, outcast, because she busted an end-of-summer party by calling the cops, so now nobody will talk to her, let alone listen to her. As time passes, she becomes increasingly isolated and practically stops talking altogether. Only her art class offers any solace, and it is through her work on an art project that she is finally able to face what really happened at that terrible party: she was raped by an upperclassman, a guy who still attends Merryweather and is still a threat to her. Her healing process has just begun when she has another violent encounter with him. But this time Melinda fights back, refuses to be silent, and thereby achieves a measure of vindication. In this powerful novel, an utterly believeable heroine with a bitterly ironic voice delivers a blow to the hypocritical world of high school. She speaks for many a disenfranchised teenager while demonstrating the importance of speaking up for oneself.

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Reader reviews.

"The plot is gripping and the characters are powerfully drawn, but it is its raw and unvarnished look at the dynamics of the high school experience that makes this a novel that will be hard for readers to forget." - Kirkus Reviews "An uncannily funny book even as it plumbs the darkness, Speak will hold readers from first word to last. " - Horn Book "Anderson infuses the narrative with a wit that sustains the heroine through her pain and holds readers' empathy." - Publisher's Weekly "A story told with acute insight, acid wit, and affecting prose. " - Library Journal

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Laurie Halse Anderson Author Biography

Laurie Halse Anderson is the New York Times -bestselling author who writes for kids of all ages. Known for tackling tough subjects with humor and sensitivity, her work has earned numerous international, national, and state awards. She has been nominated three times for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award. Two of her books, Speak and Chains , were National Book Award finalists, and Chains was also short-listed for the Carnegie medal.

Link to Laurie Halse Anderson's Website

Name Pronunciation Laurie Halse Anderson: Halse rhymes with waltz

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Speak , about a ninth grader who struggles to recover after her life and sense of identity are destroyed by a traumatic act of violence, is one of my favorite books to teach to late middle school or early high school students because it’s written in a compellingly insightful and sarcastic voice and because it’s a powerful tool for teaching empathy.

Students might find the interviews with Laurie Halse Anderson linked on this page interesting for the context they provide and for the insights they offer into both the novel and the author’s life, as well as the intersection between the two. They may also prompt further discussion of the novel and stimulate interest in Anderson’s other works.

Speak lends itself to interpretation in different media, and both the film version (which, unfortunately, got little attention) and the 2018 graphic novel version have been well-received by critics.

Related Resources

Speak Study Questions (PDF)

Speak Journal Instructions and Sample Entries (PDF)

Interviews with Laurie Halse Anderson: The Voice of Speak Is Loud As Ever Goodreads Q&A

Amazon | Parnassus | Powell’s

Speak DVD | Speak graphic novel

Study Questions

First marking period.

1. In what tense is the story told? What effect does this choice have on the reader’s perception of the narrative?

2. Describe Melinda—her personality and her emotional state. What effect does feeling like an outcast have on her behavior?

3. What information does this first section of the book give us about what Melinda did to make her friends reject her and why she did it?

4. What is Melinda’s attitude toward high school life—school itself, extracurricular activities, students, teachers, and school officials? What comments does she make about these things?

5. Describe Heather. How are she and Melinda different? What is their relationship like?

6. Describe Melinda’s parents. What is her relationship with them like? What is their relationship with each other like?

Second Marking Period

1. What purpose does Melinda’s closet at school serve? Why does she cover the mirror, and why do you think she covers it with a poster of Maya Angelou?

2. How do you interpret the artwork that Melinda makes with the turkey carcass and the Barbie head?

3. Why do you think Melinda views David Petrakis as a hero?

4. What almost makes Melinda tell her parents about what happened? Why does Melinda end up not telling them? What does this passage tell us about the state of their relationship and what Melinda needs from them? What is the symbolic and thematic significance of the cartoon about Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer? (Consider, for example, Rudolph’s comment about being independent.)

5. What reaction does Melinda have to her experiences in her parents’ workplaces? Why do you think she is so deeply angry with her father?

6. Why does Melinda go along with the basketball coaches’ requests at first? Why does she decide that she won’t show up to teach the Basketball Pole?

7. Why do you think Melinda has such a strong reaction to dissecting the frog?

Third Marking Period

1. Why does Melinda wish she were “in fifth grade again”?

2. What do you think the author’s opinion about analyzing books is—do you think she believes that authors intentionally use symbolism in their writing? How do you feel about that kind of analysis?

3. Why does Melinda consider Mr. Freeman the sanest person she knows?

4. Do you think it’s still true that it’s “easier to floss with barbed wire than admit you like someone in middle school”?

5. Why does Heather break off her “friendship” with Melinda? Why does Melinda suddenly feel that Heather is very important to her? What thoughts does Melinda have about Heather’s decision? How do you feel about Heather and her decision?

6. What makes Melinda decide to leave the hospital?

7. What reaction do Melinda’s parents have to her skipping school and her reluctance to talk? Why doesn’t she explain her behavior? How do you feel about how her parents deal with this situation? How should they handle it instead?

8. Why did Melinda call the police at the party? Why didn’t she do more to resist what was done to her?

9. What signs do you see in this chapter that Melinda is beginning to change—that she has begun to deal with what happened to her?

Fourth Marking Period

1. What further signs are there in this chapter that Melinda is beginning to recover emotionally?

2. What dilemma does Melinda face regarding Rachel/Rachelle? What conflicting feelings does she have? Why is she uncertain about how to handle it? How does she finally decide to handle it, and why?

3. What topic does Melinda choose for her report? Why is this topic appropriate for her? What is ironic about her refusal to present her report for the class?

4. What conclusion does Melinda come to about whether she was raped? What makes her doubt whether it was really rape? Why do you think she hasn’t spoken up about it?

5. What happens in this chapter to make Melinda and Ivy begin to bond more deeply?

6. What encounter does Melinda have with Heather in this chapter? How does Melinda respond to Heather, and what does this show?

7. What reaction does Rachel have to the revelation that Andy Evans raped Melinda? Why do you think she has this reaction?

8. What is the significance of the trimming of the tree in Melinda’s yard?

9. What is the significance of Melinda’s visit to the site of the rape?

10. What is the climax of the book? How does Melinda deal with the situation she finds herself in, and what does this show?

11. What positive things happen after that incident (the climax) for Melinda, both psychologically and socially?

12. Why do you think Melinda adds birds to her last drawing of the tree?

PDF version

Questions © 2002 C. Brantley Collins, Jr.

Speak Reading Journal Instructions

I would like you to keep a journal of your thoughts—specifically, your observations about, reflections on, and reactions to the book—as you read through each section. The number and length of your journal entries will vary depending on the length of each reading assignment, the topic you’re writing about, etc., but you should write enough to show that you’re really processing what you’re reading.

Don’t focus on summarizing the story in your journal entries.  Plot summary is too simple; it doesn’t require much thought. I want you to analyze the story and react to it. You can use these questions to guide your thinking:

• What events in the story are important plot developments, and why?
• How does the story make you feel, and why?
• Can you relate to the characters’ experiences? Be specific.
• What points is the author trying to make?
• What things in the book have a symbolic meaning?
• What thoughts do you have about the characters in the story—what do their words and actions reveal about them?
• What changes do the characters go through?
• How would you describe the author’s style? What literary and rhetorical devices does the author use, and what effect do they have?
• What plan or meaning can you see in the way the author chose to structure the story?
• What predictions might you make about what will happen later in the story?
• What important questions do you have that you would like to discuss in class?

Note : I don’t expect your comments about the story to sound as if they were written by someone with a degree in literature or philosophy. And although I would like your writing to be as grammatically correct as possible, the most important thing is to show me that you are thinking about the story.

Sample entries for the First Marking Period

The first two pages tell us the situation Melinda is in: she is an outcast, rejected by her friends for something she has done. It’s clear that the story will deal with how she becomes accepted again (and how she learns to accept herself).

There were cliques (clans) in my high school as well, but I never wanted to be stuck within one group, to be limited to one identity. I’ve always tried to make many different kinds of friends. Although I’ve never been an outcast, I can relate to her feeling of alienation, because there’s so much about the world that doesn’t make sense to me—the apathy and cruelty shown by those who don’t care about the effects of their actions, the narrow-mindedness of so many conservative older people, and the superficiality of so many younger people. Although I’ve always been able to make friends easily, it’s sometimes hard for me to find close friends I can really relate to.

“If there is anyone in the entire galaxy I am dying to tell what really happened, it’s Rachel.” This tells us that Melinda has some kind of secret that she can’t tell anyone, a secret that would explain why she did whatever she did that made her friends hate her. This must have to do with the title of the book: Speak.

Melinda makes a lot of sarcastic comments. This shows that she is intelligent and perceptive and that she has a great sense of humor, but it also shows that she is feeling hurt, angry, depressed, and isolated. For example, her list of “the first ten lies they tell you in high school” is funny, but it also expresses her frustration about the difficulties high school students face and the way that adults treat them, as well as her cynicism about the quality of high school education. The title of the next section, “Our Teachers Are the Best,” is also very sarcastic and cynical—obviously she doesn’t think that her teachers are very good.

The project her art teacher assigns is interesting, and I think it will be a major part of the story. Melinda will learn to express her feelings through her artwork. Why did the author decide to make her object a tree? Trees can symbolize life, growth, and resilience, so perhaps the painful experiences Melinda is having will lead to some kind of spiritual growth for her.

The primary motif of the novel seems to be alienation . Melinda feels that everything around her is alien to her, and she doesn’t fit in. She is alienated from her friends and peers, who have rejected her, she is alienated from adults in her world, who don’t understand or want to understand the source of her strange behavior, and she is alienated from her parents, who don’t have a close relationship with her and don’t express concern for her. She is even alienated from herself, because she doesn’t have a clear sense of her own identity. The word “alien” itself even appears twice in the text of this first part.

The feeling of alienation is something that many people in modern society, especially teenagers, can relate to. In traditional societies, people had a clear sense of identity and a feeling of belonging to certain groups. They identified with their own ethnic groups, their own nations, their own communities, and their own families, and they had clear role models whose footsteps they could follow in. These relationships, and the cultural environments people grew up in, heavily influenced their values and goals in life. But modern society is much more complex. We are now exposed to different values and belief systems, and relationships are much more diverse—families often aren’t so close, and we often form relationships with people of other ethnicities and nationalities. One of the results of this can be alienation, the feeling of not identifying with the world around us, of not belonging. But this situation is good in some ways as well. In the past, people’s identities were largely determined by others, but now we have more freedom to choose our own identities, to determine for ourselves who we are.

Instructions and sample entries © 2002 and 2018 C. Brantley Collins, Jr.

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Common sense media reviewers.

Controversial book about rape is powerful and painful.

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this book.

This National Book Award finalist will grip teen r

Melinda's pain and ultimate hope for healing is de

The main character, Melinda, cuts class, steals pa

Melinda is raped. She recalls her rape, and is thr

The narrator refers to cheerleaders sleeping with

Moderate swearing typical of high-schoolers.

Thirteen-year-old Melinda and her friends drink at

Parents need to know that this National Book Award finalist is about a girl traumatized by a rape (and is then isolated from her peers). Wounded, silent Melinda ditches class, steals passes from teachers, and deliberately cuts herself. Accurate descriptions of the minutiae of high school will appeal to any teen who…

Educational Value

This National Book Award finalist will grip teen readers -- and can open up a number of discussions, from dealing with clique politics to surviving rape. Parents and teachers may want to check out a guide for delving more deeply into the plot .

Positive Messages

Melinda's pain and ultimate hope for healing is described honestly and compassionately.

Positive Role Models

The main character, Melinda, cuts class, steals passes from teachers, and deliberately cuts herself. But the author offers real solutions to Melinda's pain: Melinda's connection to a mentor, her artistic creations, and even her plans for a flower garden all feed her inner strength. When she's finally able to speak, readers will rejoice in her triumph.

Violence & Scariness

Melinda is raped. She recalls her rape, and is threatened by her rapist. She defends herself against an attacker by scaring him with a shard of glass.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

The narrator refers to cheerleaders sleeping with football players, and to high school girls having abortions.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

Thirteen-year-old Melinda and her friends drink at a party.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that this National Book Award finalist is about a girl traumatized by a rape (and is then isolated from her peers). Wounded, silent Melinda ditches class, steals passes from teachers, and deliberately cuts herself. Accurate descriptions of the minutiae of high school will appeal to any teen who has felt like an outsider, and when Melinda is finally able to speak, readers will rejoice in her triumphs. This is a gritty, powerful book that teachers and parents could use to launch a number of discussions. Readers must meld short descriptive passages to form the narrative.

Where to Read

Community reviews.

• Parents say (18)
• Kids say (135)

Based on 18 parent reviews

From an ELA teacher -- one of the best young adult books.

Word choices, what's the story.

High school should be the best time of Melinda's life. Instead, freshman year is a nightmare as Melinda finds herself rejected by her friends, cut off from her parents, and unable to reveal a terrible secret. In fact, she isn't speaking at all. Melinda's slow healing process is a realistic and compelling one, and readers will cheer for her when she finally does use her voice.

Is It Any Good?

This is one of the most devastatingly true and painful portrayals of high school to come along in a long time. The cliques, from the Jocks to the Big Hair Chix to the Marthas (devotees of a certain Ms. Stewart), are pigeonholed to perfection. Outsider Melinda seems somehow familiar, too. Her witty, ironic commentaries can't cover up her pain at being excluded.

Kids who are genuine outsiders stand to gain a lot from this compassionate novel. The author offers real solutions to Melinda's pain: Melinda's connection to a mentor, her artistic creations, and even her plans for a flower garden all feed her inner strength. When she's finally able to speak, readers will rejoice in her triumphs.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about how Speak has received lots of praise and is taught in classrooms, from eighth grade on up. But its controversial subject matter has also made it a target of censors. Do you think it's too intense for teens? Should any book ever be banned or require parental permission?

Book Details

• Author : Laurie Halse Anderson
• Genre : Coming of Age
• Book type : Fiction
• Publisher : Puffin
• Publication date : January 1, 1999
• Publisher's recommended age(s) : 12 - 12
• Number of pages : 198
• Last updated : April 12, 2019

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

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Our editors recommend.

Speak: The Graphic Novel

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Thirteen Reasons Why

Books to help teens understand the importance of consent, coming-of-age books.

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

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Exploring the Narrative and Characters

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Strengths, weaknesses, and overall impression, conclusion: a recommendation for all.

The Impact of "Speak" by Laurie Halse Anderson. (2020, Jun 02). Retrieved from https://studymoose.com/speak-book-report-by-laurie-halse-anderson-new-essay

"The Impact of "Speak" by Laurie Halse Anderson." StudyMoose , 2 Jun 2020, https://studymoose.com/speak-book-report-by-laurie-halse-anderson-new-essay

StudyMoose. (2020). The Impact of "Speak" by Laurie Halse Anderson . [Online]. Available at: https://studymoose.com/speak-book-report-by-laurie-halse-anderson-new-essay [Accessed: 18 Jul. 2024]

"The Impact of "Speak" by Laurie Halse Anderson." StudyMoose, Jun 02, 2020. Accessed July 18, 2024. https://studymoose.com/speak-book-report-by-laurie-halse-anderson-new-essay

"The Impact of "Speak" by Laurie Halse Anderson," StudyMoose , 02-Jun-2020. [Online]. Available: https://studymoose.com/speak-book-report-by-laurie-halse-anderson-new-essay. [Accessed: 18-Jul-2024]

StudyMoose. (2020). The Impact of "Speak" by Laurie Halse Anderson . [Online]. Available at: https://studymoose.com/speak-book-report-by-laurie-halse-anderson-new-essay [Accessed: 18-Jul-2024]

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NBC Pulls ‘Morning Joe’ From Air After The Assassination Attempt On Donald Trump: Report

Where to stream:.

• Morning Joe
• Donald Trump

Jon Stewart Delivers Powerful ‘Daily Show’ Monologue After “Terrifying And Disorienting” Trump Rally Shooting: “We Dodged A Catastrophe”

‘the simpsons’ showrunner matt selman condemns “horrifying” fake image from his show circulating after trump shooting, sen. elizabeth warren warns ‘the view’ about j.d. vance: “more trump than trump”, ‘jimmy kimmel live’: anthony anderson unearths a “crazy” social media post from j.d. vance: “what the f*** could that possibly mean”.

The left-leaning MSNBC talk show Morning Joe was pulled from the air Monday (July 15) morning after a 20-year-old man attempted to assassinate former U.S. President Donald Trump this weekend.

According to CNN , MSNBC opted to cancel that morning’s broadcast to avoid any “inappropriate” comments that may be made on the air, according to one source familiar with the decision.

Cesar Conde, the chairman of NBCUniversal News Group, and MSNBC president Rashida Jones reportedly made the decision with Morning Joe co-hosts Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski .

One person who was familiar with the decision claimed they feared a guest “might make an inappropriate comment on live television that could be used to assail the program and network as a whole,” per CNN. The network instead opted to continue airing breaking news coverage of the developing story.

“Given the gravity and complexity of this unfolding story, NBC News, NBC News NOW and MSNBC have remained in rolling breaking news coverage since Saturday evening,” a spokesperson for NBCUniversal News Group said in a statement. “As we continue to cover this story into the week, the networks will continue to cross simulcast, alternating between NBC News, NBC News NOW and ‘MSNBC Reports,’ so there is one news feed covering this developing situation.”

Scarborough and Brzezinski have been openly critical of Trump during the show and have stood in defense of President Joe Biden amid growing calls for him to step down from the race.

The network confirmed Morning Joe will resume airing tomorrow (July 16).

Scarborough spoke out against the attempt on Trump’s life in a social media post on Sunday.

“Political violence has scarred America’s landscape from JFK through January 6th. Republican and Democratic politicians alike have been victims and this violence has caused incalculable harm to America. Thank God President Trump is safe,” he wrote .

His statement continued , “Our family is praying this morning for President Trump, those injured yesterday, and for the loved ones of the American tragically killed. May God grant mercy on them and deliver us from the violent political rhetoric.”

He added, “We should also keep in our prayers Gabby Giffords, Steve Scalise, and Paul Pelosi — who all still suffer from the wounds inflicted upon them by political violence.”

There will likely be much to discuss during Tuesday’s Morning Joe broadcast in light of the show’s sudden cancellation, the assassination attempt and the fact that the Republican National Convention begins today.

Trump reportedly still plans to attend the RNC despite this weekend’s events. He is set to deliver a speech at the RNC on Thursday (July 18).

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What is JD Vance's net worth? A look at Donald Trump's VP pick's fortune

Republican Donald Trump's pick for vice president J.D. Vance is an investor, venture capitalist, best-selling author and U.S. Senator from Ohio.

So how much is Vance worth? Here's a look at his fortune.

Business: JD Vance, Steve Case want the heartland's start-up pitches

J.D. Vance worth estimated at $5 million

Vance, 39, of Middletown, has a net worth of $5 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth .

Citing Vance's 2022 Congressional financial disclosure, Celebrity Net Worth reports that the majority of his 100-plus investments are worth between $1,000 and $15,000. Some of Vance's major investments include:

• Huntington National Bank which holds $250,000 – $500,000
• Robin Hood checking account which holds $100,000 – $250,000
• Five Goldman Sachs CDs valued at a combined range of $500,000 and $1.05 million
• $500,000 – $1 million worth of shares in the QQQ Exchange Traded Fund
• $100,000 – $200,000 worth of 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF shares
• $100,000 – $250,000 worth of Bitcoin held through Coinbase
• $50,000 – $100,000 worth of Walmart stock

How much does Vance make as a senator?

Vance earns an annual salary of $174,000 as a U.S. senator, according to the National Taxpayers Union Foundation .

How much would Vance earn as Vice President of the United States?

If he ascends to be the country's second in command, Vance would make $235,100 each year he serves as vice president, according to the NTUF.

'Hillbilly Elegy' earns Vance nearly $500,000

According to Business Insider , Vance reported earnings of $475,308 in 2021 off royalties from his 2016 memoir, "Hillbilly Elegy."

VP pick has Columbus ties: Who is JD Vance? Vice presidential candidate has multiple ties to Columbus

That royalty payday in the year he announced his political candidacy was an increase from the previous year. In 2020, his book earned him $347,752, not including a deal with Netflix.

Colleges pay Vance $70,000 to speak after 'Hillbilly Elegy' published

In the two years after the publication of "Hillbilly Elegy," Vance visited 18 colleges and universities to give commencement addresses, lectures or political talks, the Associated Press reports . He was paid more than $70,000 for those visits, according to records provided to the AP.

At the time, Vance, an Ohio State University and Yale Law School graduate, spoke highly of education, the AP reports. But once he announced his political campaign, he targeted universities as enemies of the conservative movement.

Vance wins U.S. Senate seat in 2022

In Nov. 2022, Trump-endorsed Vance defeated Democrat Tim Ryan in the election for the U.S. Senate, keeping one of Ohio's seats in Republican hands.

The race to replace retiring Sen. Rob Portman became one of the most watched in the nation, and Republicans fought harder than planned to keep a seat  critical to a GOP Senate majority .

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Trump rally shooter Thomas Crooks: Neighbors, classmates, employer speak

A 20-year-old man from Pennsylvania fired multiple shots at former President Donald Trump at a rally on Saturday evening.

A bullet grazed the presumptive Republican presidential nominee's upper right ear , leaving him bloodied but not seriously injured. One rally attendee was killed in the gunfire and two others were "critically injured," authorities later said.

Here's what we know:

Who is the shooter at the rally?

The FBI identified Thomas Matthew Crooks of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, as the person behind the assassination attempt. Agency officials released little additional information, saying its investigation remains active and ongoing. They did not indicate what Crooks' motive might have been.

Crooks worked at a nearby nursing home. An administrator there told USA TODAY that the company was shocked to learn of the shooting and that Crooks had passed a background check for his job.

What did Thomas Crooks do at the crime scene?

During the shooting Saturday, Trump's right ear was injured, seconds before he was whisked off stage by Secret Service personnel.  One man attending the rally was killed  and two others were injured; Crooks was then killed by Secret Service agents , authorities said.

FBI special agent Kevin Rojek said on a call with media Sunday afternoon that authorities found "a suspicious device" when they searched the shooter's vehicle. Bomb technicians inspected the device and rendered it safe. 

"I'm not in a position to provide any expertise on the specific components of any potential bombs or suspicious packages," Rojek added. 

Rojek said law enforcement is sending the rifle and Crooks' cell phone, along with other evidence, to the FBI lab in Quantico, Virginia "for processing and exploitation."

"We're in the process of searching his phone," Rojek said.

Maps and graphics: What happened in the Trump assassination attempt

What is Crooks' background?

Crooks is registered to vote as a Republican in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, according to county voter records. His voter registration status has been active since 2021.

Federal Election Commission records show that in January 2021, Crooks made a $15 donation to the Progressive Turnout Project, a group working to increase voter turnout for Democrats.

Born Sept. 20, 2003, Crooks does not have a criminal record in Pennsylvania, nor has he been sued there, according to state court records. There is no record of him in federal court databases, either.

Where did Thomas Crooks work?

Crooks worked as a dietary aid, a job that generally involves food preparation, at Bethel Park Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation, less than a mile from his home. In a statement provided to USA TODAY on Sunday, Marcie Grimm, the facility's administrator, said she was "shocked and saddened to learn of his involvement."

"Thomas Matthew Crooks performed his job without concern and his background check was clean," Grimm said. "We are fully cooperating with law enforcement officials at this time. Due to the ongoing investigation, we cannot comment further on any specifics. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Former President Trump and the victims impacted by this terrible tragedy. We condemn all acts of violence."

The facility is owned by Kennett Square, Pennsylvania-based Genesis Healthcare. A job posting from the company for a dietary aid in the Pittsburgh area puts the pay at $16 an hour.

Thomas Crooks from Bethel Park, Pennsylvania

Crooks' home address is listed in Bethel Park, a suburb in the Pittsburgh metropolitan area, voter records show. That three-bedroom brick house has been owned since 1998 by Matthew and Mary Crooks, who appear to be his parents. Telephone calls to the couple were not returned overnight.

Near the Crooks home, Dean Sierka, 52, said he had known Crooks and his parents for years, as neighbors separated by only a few houses. Sierka’s daughter attended school with Crooks from elementary school through Bethel Park High School, and said she remembers him as quiet and shy.

Dean and his daughter said they would see Crooks at least once a week, often when Crooks was walking to work.

“You wouldn’t have expected this,” Dean Sierka said. “The parents and the family are all really nice people.”

At Bethel Park High School

Thomas Crooks graduated two years ago from Bethel Park High School, the Bethel Park School District confirmed. He was included in a 2022 local news article about recipients of a National Math & Science Initiative Star Award at the public high school, which enrolls about 1,300 students.

Jason Kohler attended Bethel Park High School with Crooks and said he remembers the 20-year-old sat alone at lunch and was “bullied almost every day.” Kids picked on Crooks for wearing camouflage to class and his quiet demeanor, Kohler, 21, said.

Since hearing Crooks has been named as the shooter, Kohler has been speaking with classmates who knew him, most of whom are stunned by the news.“It’s really hard to comprehend,” he said.

Sean Eckert said he went to school with Crooks from 5th through 12th grade. He said Crooks always went by “Tom.“

They shared classes together in elementary and middle school. Eckert said Crooks, though "fairly smart," was quiet and rarely spoke up.

Eckert said Crooks did not seem to have many friends. He didn't recall Crooks being playing any sports, being involved in any clubs or student groups or going to popular campus events. He often wore hunting clothes, so Eckert assumed he hunted.

No one in Eckert's group text from high school seemed to know Crooks very well, he said. They were shocked that someone from their town had done this. They were even more surprised that it was Tom Crooks.

Nursing aide turned sniper: Thomas Crooks' mysterious plot to kill Trump

The gaming-oriented online site Discord said Sunday that it had found an account that appeared to be linked to the shooting suspect. The site removed the account, which “was rarely utilized, has not been used in months, and we have found no evidence that it was used to plan this incident, promote violence, or discuss his political views,“ according to a statement from a Discord spokesperson, adding that the company will coordinate closely with law enforcement.

Crooks was a member of the Clairton Sportsmen’s Club, a shooting club about 8 miles from his home. It is a sprawling complex of 180 acres with rifle, pistol and archery ranges, an area for dog training and a clubhouse, according to the club website.An attorney for the club, Robert Bootay III, confirmed Crooks' membership in an email to USA TODAY, but would not offer additional details.

Where is Bethel Park, Pennsylvania?

Bethel Park is a suburb of Pittsburgh and home to more than 32,000 people – about one thousand fewer than four years ago, according to the latest Census estimates. 

The majority-white, mostly college-educated community has a median household income of $102,177. 

Described as a charming retreat from the hustle and bustle of the big city to its north, Bethel Park boasts tree-line streets, friendly neighborhoods and a low crime rate.

Bethel Park is about 42 miles south of Butler, where the Trump rally was held. The leafy suburban street was alive with law enforcement overnight amid a multi-agency response to the shooting. A member of the Allegheny County bomb squad told reporters his team was headed into the house around midnight, but did not say why.

For hours afterward, the scene remained quiet, with deer passing under the police tape and an occasional neighbor stepping out of their house to see what was happening.

John Wolf, a local construction superintendent who lives down the road, said he’d talked with several worried neighbors.

“People are scared,” Wolf said.

How did Crooks shoot at Trump?

Crooks had been positioned on a rooftop more than 100 yards from the rally site, Secret Service spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi said. Law enforcement recovered an AR-style rifle from the scene.

Joseph Price, special agent in charge of the ATF in Pittsburgh, said the weapon used by the shooter was a rifle.“It was nothing special,” he said in an interview in the parking lot of the Butler Township Municipal Building.

Law enforcement is following up on a “number of suspicious occurrences,” said Lt. Col. George Bivens of the Pennsylvania State Police, including accounts from witnesses who said they tried to flag police about the activity of a person outside the rally moments before the shooting.

The FBI said in a news release that the situation “remains an active and ongoing investigation, and anyone with information that may assist with the investigation is encouraged to submit photos or videos online at  FBI.gov/butler  or call 1-800-CALL-FBI.”

Contributing: Stephanie Warsmith, Tim Evans, Aysha Bagchi, Jessica Guynn, Bryce Buyakie

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Reporting by Nathan Layne, Gabriella Borter and Soren Larson in Bethel Park, Pennsylvania; Additional reporting by Katharine Jackson, Sarah N. Lynch, Richard Cowan, Caitlin Webber, Nandita Bose, Ismail Shakil, Joseph Ax, Andrew Hay and Kanishka Singh; Writing by Frank McGurty, Scott Malone and Michelle Nichols; Editing by Lisa Shumaker, Howard Goller and Lincoln Feast.

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Thomson Reuters

Washington-based correspondent covering campaigns and Congress. Previously posted in Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo and Santiago, Chile, and has reported extensively throughout Latin America. Co-winner of the 2021 Reuters Journalist of the Year Award in the business coverage category for a series on corruption and fraud in the oil industry. He was born in Massachusetts and graduated from Harvard College.

Helen Coster is a U.S. Presidential Election Correspondent at Reuters, where she writes a mix of spot news, enterprise and analysis stories, with a focus on the Republican Party and conservative media. Prior to 2024 she covered the media industry for Reuters, and was also a Senior Editor on Reuters’ Commentary team. A graduate of Princeton University, she has reported from six countries, including Pakistan, India, and Greece.

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