Speak, by Laurie Halse Anderson

Title:Speak
Author:Laurie Halse Anderson
Publish Date:March 19, 2009
Publisher:Speak; 10 Anv edition
Pages:240 pages
ISBN:0142414735
Classification:
Genre:
Age Range:Young Adult
Price: $8.63

Annotation:

Summary: After being date-raped a party, Melinda Sordino suffers intensely through her first year at Merryweather High

in utter silence, that is, she has a secret and that secret is why everybody hates her. During the Summer Melinda is Date-raped, calls the police, and the party is broken up. Because nobody knows why she called the police they brand her. Melinda begins to get worse and worse as she folds within herself and becomes mute while loses enthusiasm for everything that should have been an amazing first year of high school. Abandoned by her friends, she wishes she could confide.

Evaluation: I loved the interactions between the teacher and the Melinda and the use of art as a catalyst for expression. It is stylishly written and it's tone with memorable. I love Melinda and feel deeply for her. Much of her school brings up memories of more then one of my teachers and experiences. Spot on amazing! There is a reason why Anderson is so beloved, in my opinion.

Bibliotherapeutic Usefulness: Expressing trauma, Art therapy, friendship, trust, depression, Communicating with your Parents

Reason this book was chosen: The use of art as therapy instead of the obvious choices like dealing with being raped and bullied.

Another Amazing Author Website: http://www.writerlady.com/

It's a Kind of Funny Story, by Ned Vizzini

Title: It's a Kind of Funny Story
Author: Ned Vizzini
Publish Date: April 3, 2007
Publisher:Disney-Hyperion
Pages: 448 pages
ISBN:0142401757
Classification: Fiction
Genre: Fiction
Age Range:Young Adult
Price: $8.99

Annotation: After being accepted into a prestigious high school in Manhattan the pressure mounts and Craig becomes increasingly depressed. He checks himself into a facility after calling a suicide prevention line and he finally begins to understand himself and his talents.

Summary: Like many determined NYC teens, Craig sees being accepted into Manhattan's Executive Pre-Professional High School as the one way all exclusive ticket to the success he dreams of. Craig studies excessively to get in and that the beginning of his life spinning out of control. Once he is in he begins to feel the pressure and begins to see himself as average and maybe even not capable of being as successful as he see himself in his head. He get seriously depressed. He stops eating and sleeping and even ends up almost killing himself under the weight of the depression. The breakdown winds him up in an institution where he meets all sorts of people and begins the upward climb to rehabilitation and facing what's really crippling him.

Evaluation: I have a special place for this book. Something about the character's relatable sadness and they way he comes back from it was awesome. I heard this was being made into a movie and I can see why. You can tell it's authentic and comes from actual experience which makes it all the more endearing.

Also a realistic view of the increasing pressures of school and success in todays world.

Bibliotherapeutic Usefulness: Returning from the brink of suicide. There is a point to picking up that phone and calling for help. It's not pointless.

Reason this book was chosen: There are more teens then we think that go through recovery institutions for many things like depression, drugs, or suicide and I think its refreshing to read a story with humor and pathos and it gives hope to those with crippling depression. Sometimes a little spark is all it takes to keep fighting.

Orange, by Benjamin

By: Benjamin

Publisher: Tokyopop

Publish Date: February 10, 2009

ISBN: 1427814635

Page #: 144 pages

Classification: Fiction

Genre: Manga

Age Level: Older Teen

Series Titles: Orange (To date only one Volume has been released.)

Reader's Annotation: Orange stands at the edge of life contemplating suicide when a mysterious man talks her down. Unfortunately, her second chance is shattered just weeks later.

Summary: Don't be fooled by the vivid colors in Orange. It is the dark story of a nihilistic teen dealing with depression and angst and the urge to end it all. Contrastingly this dark story line the color reminds us of how bright things burn inside us, especially in teens. Yet, at the same time, when depressed, we tend to see the world, metaphorically speaking, in black and white. The use of color is breathtaking and the topic is of interest to many teens who struggle with depression and thoughts of suicide.

Evaluation: The story may fall short but the art makes up for it threefold. Personally, manga readers and non-manga readers alike will enjoy this visual feast. But, the subject is really intense, and artistically, Benjamin created a gorgeous triumph in the Chinese Manga.

Bibliotherapeutic Usefulness: Suicide, Self-Expression, Depression, Art as Therapy

Orange on Tokyopop Website: http://www.tokyopop.com/product/2685/Orange/1

Read Tokyopop Manga Online Here: http://www.tokyopop.com/manga/read_tokyopop_titles/browse