Banned Books Week starts on September 25th and lasts till October 1st. The purpose of Banned Books Week is to read books that have been "banned" in order to have the freedom to read, and to (in some cases) raise awareness on these so called "challenged" topics. This year, I have decided to reread Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson (for what feels like the 100th time) and discuss why exactly it's so important that this book be read in schools. First off, the book was banned because it is considered to be "pornographic" because of a rape scene. This book was written in the voice of Melinda Sordino, a 14-year-old student attending Merryweather High, who was raped by a student at a party. Because of her being raped, Melinda doesn't speak. While the book does center around rape, it is extremely important that this topic be brought up in schools because it is important for rape survivors and victims of sexual abuse to know that they are not alone. At the end of the novel (spoilers ahead), Melinda realizes that in order for her to move past her rape, she must talk about it, which is exactly what Anderson is saying victims should do as well. It's important to speak up about sexual abuse because if we don't speak up about it, who will? If victims don't speak up about their own experiences, how will they ever find closure? The book itself is so much more than just rape -- it's about the importance of speaking up, about finding your voice and doing something great with it, it's about those that have been victims of sexual abuse realize that no matter what, they are not alone. Readers are able to connect with Melinda, and because of this, have gotten the courage to speak up and get the help the deserve. Even to those who weren't raped/sexually abused, you can still find a piece of yourself in the main character and that's what's so incredible about this book. It's understandable why this book was banned from being read in schools (because of topics of rape, sexual abuse, drugs, family dysfunction, etc.), but at the same time, these are real things going on in teenagers lives today that need to be brought to peoples' attention. This isn't something you can just cover up and hide, this is something that needs to be discussed in schools so we're able to prevent things like this from happening to those we love most and give those that have already gone through this the courage to speak up. I think this book is an incredible choice to read, especially for Banned Books Week. Don't just read it -- raise awareness on the topics brought up in this book. Bring awareness to rape and sexual abuse and drugs and family issues. Let sexual abuse survivors know that we're not alone in all of this. Set a comfortable environment for us to speak up about what's happened to us. Don't judge us. Don't question us -- believe us. Take what we say seriously because it is serious. Be there to comfort us. That's all we ask. I wanna know what you're reading for Banned Books Week! Comment below and let me know! Much love, Ashley
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