Teaching A Stone To Talk By: Annie Dillard

Teaching A Stone To Talk, by Annie Dillard, is interesting and as you read it you keep wondering, where is this going? Are the stories she's relating connected or are they just a loose collection of memories and facts, and then- bang - the end impacts you like a great slap of reality.I liked this book a lot. Its a truly thought provoking piece of non-fiction, poetically written. Ms. Dillard spends a lot of time pointing out how pointless many things we humans do are. Nature, she feels, is much simpler, it just is. I started reading this book and got quickly lost in her metaphors. I had to start over. Then I realized this book is profound, full of naturalist's information, which I really loved, like how mangrove tree leaves extrude salt. Its full of questions, doubts, observances, recollections, and facts. Its hysterical in parts, depressing in others, and highly spiritual all at the same time. I don't think this book is for the type of reader that is looking for a light easy read. Nor is it for the person who looks to read into each thing to find the deeper truth. This book, like many of Dillard's observances - just is - and thats how it has to be read. With an open mind willing to explore the world as it is - and not miss it.

So, what is the 'stone' and can it talk? I have two theories. First I thought the stone was us -people. That we get so caught up in the trappings of the world we forget to look and be part of it. We don't see what is important. Like when the priests and pastors at an ecumenical service are all fumbling around looking for the host. They whispered, "do you have it?" Which of course everybody could hear through their microphones. Ms. Dillard stages this whole fiasco on an ice flow in the Arctic. Or, also on an ice flow, the Baptism of Oswaldo,when everyone was so worried about clothes and pictures and the little lump of a child is just there sort of unnoticed. They didn't see the importance of the event just the trappings. This is theory one, that we as stones must learn to look at and see this world we pass through and learn how to live and adapt to it. We have to learn to 'talk'. By way of example, Dillard talks about several British Polar expeditions and how truly ridiculous they were. Here these people were going to explore the Arctic Circle to find a passage through it, map and explore, and locate the exact North Pole, and what they took with them was outrageous. They took china, crystal, full tea service, silver ware - the officer's silver ware of course engraved with their name and family coat of arms, a 1,200 volume library, backgammon, and so on. However, for this three to four year journey due North they took only twelve days of coal, and no warm clothing. Through their stupidity and lack of experience, of course they were absolutely unsuccessful. Several expeditions after the first made the same mistakes. One voyage kept the crew's moral up by having plays out on the pack ice. Why not? They weren't going anywhere. Others printed weekly news papers (they brought printing presses). I can just see the headlines: "Still Caught in the Pack Ice. Starving, Cold, and Dieing Again Today." Great read. Obviously stubborn, resistant, hard headed stones that they were, not learning or adapting to that harsh environment all died.

Theory number two:, that the Earth is the 'stone' that is silent, as Ms. Dillard says, but that silence speaks volumes about the Earth, made of rock, and how it changes over time. She likens people to Mangrove trees. How as seeds they begin with nothing. The seeds fall into a blob of mud in the water and grow and sort of float on that blob where ever it may go. Sometimes out into the ocean bound for who knows where. The young trees bob and pitch, some die, some crash into other trees. As they grow they are so full of life with birds in their branches and all kinds of creatures living about their roots. The Mangroves are like a whole universe that drift along in space. Interesting metaphor.

Ms. Dillard reflects on her travels, experiences, and events. Like going to the Galapagos Islands and experiencing the animals there who with no fear of people love to come visit and communicate and play for awhile. How these animals just are. They accept their environment, they are part of it and it is a part of them. They just live. Some day I want so much to go to the Galapagos. She relates her experience of going to see a total eclipse of the sun and how even though in modern times people know exactly what to expect the people screamed in fear, as did she. Her reaction to the eclipse was like this hallucinogenic panic attack. How primitive, and then when the sun reemerged she went to lunch!

In "Teaching a Stone to Talk," Dillard talks a lot about science and relates a lot of interesting facts. For example, when you're at the absolute North Pole if you took a photo of the night sky the stars would look arranged in a perfect circular pattern of concentric rings. I'd love to see that. This book is also a commentary on life and how we should absolutely "see whats there," and live as part of the world and not outside of it. Ms. Dillard relates a great story in chapter one about a weasel that really intrigued me because I'm very interested in interspecies communication. She was sitting quietly in the woods when this weasel popped out from under a bush. He was so startled to see her and she was so startled to see him that their eyes locked and as she puts it, "...I [was] in that weasel's brain for sixty seconds"(14). She saw that the weasel just is. He does what a weasels supposed to do. He hunts, he kills, he eats, and goes on. He doesn't have great thoughts perhaps, who knows- the weasel may think the same of Ms. Dillard, he lives by instinct. Ms. Dillard thinks maybe we should live more like he does. He lives as he is meant to. The weasel yields to life he doesn't fight it. Ms. Dillard points out that we live outside of the environment. We can live anywhere and we don't have to adapt to that place. We adapt that place to us. One interesting point (of many), that Ms. Dillard makes is that nature is silent. That we should look at it. The world was originally just rock-stone- and says nothing. "Nature's silence is just one remark, and every flake of the world is a chip off that old mute block"(69). It is suggested that someone should carve a little mouth on the stone so that we might teach it to talk. Would we understand?

This book is also about experiencing spirituality. Ms. Dillard said that in the Bible God spoke to the people and they were so frightened they asked God not to speak to them. So He stopped. Now after all this time, she asks, how do we get God to speak to us, the stones, again? Would we listen? Ms. Dillard says we run away from spirituality because we are afraid. She wrote a great line, "... Once in Israel love came to us incarnate, stood in the doorway between two worlds and we were all afraid"(141). She realized how little of God's love she understood and then she ran back to Him. I feel God does speak and that nature is not silent. The sounds of life are like this great symphony. We must choose what we will do. That makes our life infinitely more difficult than a weasel's. If we choose to listen we will hear. If we watch the world we'll experience it. "It is the blended note of ten thousand things"(69). We are journeyers through this life on this planet Ms. Dillard remarks. She wonders where do we belong? Life passes. We think as children we have all the time in the world - to much time. Then as a bell curves all of a sudden we realize time is passing too fast and we are sliding down the other side of the curve... So, to me Ms. Dillard's most important message is this- experience life to the fullest. Be part of nature. Simpler. Notice what is around you because life passes and you can't go back. Our lives are short. The seasons change and pass- don't miss any of it.

Keep Reading, Devon

Looking For Alaska By: John Green

Looking For Alaska, by John Green, is a very good read. Its about a kid named Miles Cavalry, who just doesn't fit in in his school. He's a bit of a geek but a really nice guy that no body notices. He decides to leave his public H.S. school to go to his father's old private H.S.,Culver Creek Predatory School, in search of the 'Great Perhaps.' The 'Great Perhaps,' is something exciting.Nothing planned or known. Its the possibility of what could happen.Miles meets some great friends there and gets a neat nick name from his new room mate Chip, AKA -The Colonial. Miles becomes - Pudge. Through the Colonial Pudge meets Takumi, a Japanese guy who loves to rap, Laura, the Romanian with big beautiful eyes, and Alaska who is a beautiful, smart, devious, fascinating, and a deeply disturbed. Pudge notes that if he were rain Alaska would be a hurricane! Having watched her mother die right in front of her as a small child has turned Alaska into someone with very high "ups," and very "low," downs. She's moody yet deeply passionate. Loves to read and had a huge pile of books in her room she called her " life's library." Books that she intended to read before she died. Alaska love her boyfriend Jake, loves and is absolutely loyal to her friends, and hates going home. So much so that she did the unthinkable- she ratted out some fellow students to avoid going home. This book is not just about H.S., learning to smoke and drink, and sexual things, its about finding your way through Simone de Bolivard's -Labyrinth,' the suffering and how lost you can get in life. Alaska asks the question, How does one get out of the labyrinth? For her the answer was "straight and fast."

Culver Creek has a tradition of pulling pranks. In fact Pudge's Dad was legend for his pranks. The Eagle, the adult in charge of keeping the students in line and punishment, is always the "man" you have to prank best to get away with anything. Pudge, the Colonial(the master mind), Takumi, Laura, and Alaska pull off a great prank on the "Weekday Warriors,"(kids that are wealthy and go home for the weekend), and get away with it. They have a great time.

Pudge, the Colonial, and Takumi all love and are mesmerized by Alaska. She is beautiful, fun, and secretive. After the prank they all got extremely drunk together and played a drinking game- Best day/Worst day. They found out some very important things about each other, and some cryptic things about Alaska's deep inner sadness. Soon after Alaska was in Pudge's and the Colonial's room, all quite drunk, and Alaska started to seductively kiss Pudge who was very confused because Alaska loves her boyfriend, but then thats Alaska -impulsive and not always thinking everything through. All of a sudden Alaska up in absolute panic desperate to leave pleading for help to get her off campus so she can drive - somewhere.The shocker of the story is Alaska who burns so bright in life dies that night in a horrible car crash. Now Pudge and the Colonial (Takumi and Laura) are left to face the demons Alaska left them with - the why? Pudge and the Colonial are devastated and get so wrapped up with 'the why' of it that they are consumed by it. They become locked in Alaska's labyrinth. They try so hard to figure out why. Almost as a way of healing , the Colonial master minds a fantastic plot in Alaska's memory and they pull off the greatest prank of all pranks. Its mint! Pudge even gets his father involved. In a set-up phone call to the Eagle, Pudge's father pretends to be Dr. William Morse-a supposed professor from the University of Florida whose expertise just happens to be adolescent sexuality.Pudge suggested Dr. Morse be the Jr. class's guest lecturer at Culver Creek's annual " speaker day." In reality Dr. William Morse is actually a very well built male stripper named Maxx. Quite stoically, Dr. Morse begins his lecture and then all "----" breaks loose when Takumi hits the music and Maxx strips! The audience erupts into screams and whoops-laughter- and total chaos! Wish I could have been there.

This stuff though is not the most important message in the book. These happy go lucky friends now have to deal with the huge loose of a their friend Alaska, who left them suddenly and tragically. Honestly, I don't think it was Alaska's intention to die, what ever was going on in her head I think she just did not think it through. This book is about Pudge's journey into the labyrinth to find The Great Perhaps. In there Pudge finds great friends and then suffers the loss of an important one. They get pulled apart and drawn together again and learn to go on they must forgive each other for loosing Alaska, and Alaska for leaving.There is a great line at the end of the book that I thought was quite deep. "If only we could see the endless string of consequences that result from our smallest actions. But we can't know better until knowing better is useless"(218). Knowing is never useless. Great book with a good message. I recommend it to high schoolers and older.

Keep reading,
Devon

Hocus Pocus By: Kurt Vonnegut

I thought I found a new favorite author in Kurt. The librarian recommended this book to me. I read the outside jacket and thought sounds good. Well- I have to say - not my favorite. The first critique on the cover is "Terribly Funny..." I'm not sure if the the author of that remark feels the same way I do or not but, I didn't think it was so funny. Like- ha,ha, funny. I thought the story was sarcastic and sort of sad. Its about the life of a man named Eugene Debs Hartke, who as he goes through life seems to go from situation to situation rather easily. He just sort of flows from one situation to the next. "Manna from heaven," as Gene refers to it. He's a smart guy goes to West Point, graduates, and goes to Vietnam where he serves well. Becomes rather well known as "The Preacher," because he never curses. Everything in Gene's life seems to be sort of two sided. Like he gets the good and the bad together. Sometimes the sequence of things in this book were difficult to follow. Vonnegut jumps back and forth in Gene's life so that Gene's life is sort of told like it is a Picasso. Its all there all at once in the same place- its just sort of all folded in and outside of itself. So I'm not sure if Gene got married before he went to Vietnam or not,but he married a woman named Margaret whom he really did love and was very devoted to but, not in the way you might think. Margaret it seems is beautiful and very close to her mother, so they sort of come as a pair and they all live happily together, at first. What Gene finds out as life goes on is that both mother and daughter both have inherited some form of insanity and both go nuts (mother-in-law first) but Gene never leaves them. He always cares for them and never sends them away. Which causes a terrible rift between Gene and his two children, (who he secretly worries may have inherited the insanity gene), a son and a daughter, who can't stand that they have to live with these two insane women. They are totally embarrassed by them and leave home the second they are both able informing their father that they will never speak to him again for making them live in the asylum, better known as their home. When Gene comes home after the war decorated, a hero and all, he doesn't have any plans as to what he is going to do with his life when he runs into his old commanding officer who happens to now be the President of Tarkington College, in Scipio, New York in a beautiful valley. The college is situated next to a beautiful lake with a magnificent forest, and across the lake is a prison up on the hill, and down below the college is the sleepy little town of Scipio. This is a very special college. It seems all the kids are very well to do, but all of them are sort of special ed. They are not very smart but their mommies and daddies pay a lot of money to get their kids a special education. There are no papers to write. No text books per say, but yet the kids do get a good education, graduate with an associates degree in several areas, and some of them go on to do some very good things. Now Gene is pretty set. He has a good job teaching at the college which he truly loves, a nice house that comes with the job that he loves, is well respected, and expects that some day he will be laid to rest up on the hill on campus where the sun comes up. One of his favorite things is that he gets to play the Lutz Carillon, which are the bells in the tower of the school. So life's good except for the flip side. His mother -in-law and wife are nuts, and his kids hate him. Gene also has quite a flare for the ladies. He has lots of affairs with women like the Board of Trustees wives, fellow professors wives, female professors, some women in town, oh, and somebody that becomes important at the end of the story- a woman journalist that he met before he came home from Vietnam who he has a illegitimate son with named Rob Roy, that Gene doesn't find out about until much later. So, life goes on for Gene and then some interesting things happen. One of the members of the Board of Trustees secretly has his daughter following Gene around asking him stupid questions and taping them. She also tapes private conversations he is having with fellow professors in social setting where Gene is just kidding around. All these tapes get turned into the Board of Trustees where Gene is set up, and even though he is the most popular teacher on campus he is fired. Devastated really- Gene loves his job and his little insane asylum-ah- his house - he goes to town to get a drink or two when fate shines on him again. It just so happens the prison is hiring teachers. The Japanese warden likes him a lot and Gene gets the job and a new little insane asylum- house. One thing you've got to say for Gene is he never abandoned his wife or mother-in-law. Some people thought he was a saint for that, others thought he was nuts for that. Gene again becomes the most popular teacher, well respected, etc. Life is good. Then one night there is a prison break. The inmates blow up the prison, escape across the lake, sack the town and take the Board of Trustees of Tarkington College hostage. Oh, and because Gene had been working at the prison he has contracted TB. All the Japanese employees wore masks and gloves for that reason, Gene never did. So Gene's out of a job again. The National Guard come to get control of things and before they leave the town the commanding officer of the National Guard makes Gene the new Mayor of Scipio. Gene protests saying nobody would ever listen to him, so the commanded gets on the phone and the Governor of New York makes Gene a Brigadier General in the National Guard. Gene actually does a lot of good things as Mayor. He also now meets his illegitimate son, Rob Roy, before he leaves for Italy after being charged with child molestation. Rob didn't do it. So, now Gene's in pretty good shape again. One sad note-the night of the prison break is the last time Gene saw or spoke to his wife. As Gene left his house in the night amidst all the chaos, his wife opened the window and called him by name in her sweet normal voice. She hadn't called Gene by name for years. Its rather touching and sad that as Gene leaves her, even though Margaret was asking him if he was going to be with some woman, Gene honestly said he wasn't, and as she closed the window Gene called back to her-"I love you Margaret." That was the last he ever saw of her. So, like I said Gene did a good job as Mayor. Tarkington College become a new prison since so much of the other one had been destroyed, most notably all the toilets at the old prison were blown up so Tarkington had plenty of toilets and showers. Of course then, Tarkington became a new prison. Gene helped to set the prisoners there up in good housing. So, life is good again. Gene's wife and mother-in law had been relocated to a mental hospital during the prison siege, as a Brigadier General Gene mets his son Rob Roy (who by the way tells him the made up stories about Gene's family his mother told him, pretty funny-all lies), Gene's doing a great job, and is well respected once again. Then as Gene was being told by the Commander of the National Guard what a good job he had been doing, the Commander arrested Gene charging him with insurrection. It seems Gene was being blamed for the prison break because while he was a teacher in the prison he had told the prisoners about the lake, and the forest, the town and the college, where they all were and stuff. So, this book written by Gene is actually being written in jail as he is dieing of TB waiting for trial.

After re-reading this blog, I guess this story is pretty funny in a sarcastic, ironic way. There are a lot of details I left out like how the Japanese warden was in Japan when the A- Bomb went off over his head, and how all the prisoners felt bad for Gene because he only had a Mercedes and the prisoners all had better cars than him, oh and how germs are going to take over the Earth. Life certainly is interesting in Kurt Vonnegut's mind. I'm not really sure who would like this book. People with sarcastic scenes of humor for sure, and Kurt Vonnegut fans of course.


PS. Ms. O'Brien,
Don't forget that I did write a blog about Cat' Cradle but, it didn't transfer to blogspot. I e-mailed it to you a while ago.

Those Who Trespass By: Bill O'Reilly

"Those Who Trespass," by Bill O'Reilly, is a real crowd pleaser. I enjoyed it a lot. It's a murder, mystery, thriller about a man named Shannon Michaels who works as a field reporter for "GNN" news. Shannon files a fantastic story about a riot he was covering and then became enveloped by on the streets of South America. His story is stolen by this news caster named Costello that everybody hates at GNN . Shannon tries to do something about it but ruffles the wrong feathers in the process and gets fired. Shannon who is tall, dark, handsome, and very suave lucks out and becomes a news anchorman on a small, disorganized T.V. news broadcast on channel six. He becomes famous, rich, not very well liked by the people he works with but, the ratings are great. Then Shannon ruffles the wrong feathers again and is fired. That ended his T.V. career and sent him off in a very different direction. This is also when people from GNN start mysteriously showing up dead in the most creative manors. Enter Detective Tommy O'Mally - a really talented, well liked detective who is excellent at his job. Besides being a detective, O'Mally has a loving dotting mother, a great partner, and a super self absorbed, extremely religious Italian princess X-wife. While O'Mally works to solve the GNN murders he meets the lovely, sexy, talented investigative newspaper reporter covering the story for "The Globe," Ashely (Ash) Van Buren. All the characters, and the side characters, in the book are very well done. They are all 'alive' and believable, very much like someone you would know, which is unfortunate in some cases. The story is exciting. Once you realize who the killer is you are not disappointed there are still a few surprises. The ending is very exciting, so I'm not going to tell you. I think anyone - guys or gals - who enjoy a good murder mystery thriller will enjoy this read.

Devon.

Speaks review

" This extremely well-written book portrays a large suburban high school with a fresh and authentic eye- all the cliques are there, from the jocks, to the Goths, to the "Marthas" (Martha Stewart wanna-bes)... This powerful story has an important lesson: never be afraid to speak up for yourself." -VOYA

Truer words were never spoken. You could find all the cliques right here in Ardsley. I agree with this critique. "Speak" is a powerful illustration of what hugh consequences bad choices can make. The voice spoken in this book needs to be heard.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower- by Stephen Chbosky

Interesting book, interesting format. As a matter of fact I like writing stories as if they were letters. The first person narrative works well for me. However this book doesn't really do it for me although I like Charlie. He seems like a sweet kid, I'm curious as to who the friend in these letters are going to is. These letters are sort of a diary where he always signs off love always Charlie. Charlie tells this unknown person who he doesn't want to recognize him every personal detail he can think of. The letters begin with Charlie telling us about Micheal's suicide and how it affected him. We know Micheal is a friend but we don't know much else, and what happened to poor Aunt Helen is so painful for Charlie. Charlie loves her so much feels responsible for her death and misses her. You find out later exactly what happened to Aunt Helen. Charlie's Dad gets very emotional for some reason when Charlie wants to know what happened what happened. Why? Charlie to me is like a beach where things just keep washing over him. He cries allot when he's happy and sad. Most letters he's always crying about something.

I liked Charlie's experience with Sam at Christmas. I thought it was so sweet and very touching that Sam wanted Charlie's first kiss to come from someone who loved him. I guess that's every ones wish- well actually maybe not but its mine. I like the way Charlie describes his family. Sounds like every ones family., loud, lots of hidden secrets, but lots of love with most of the relatives. Charlie's father's step dad was awful. He beat his wife and Charlie's dad and his sister until grandma's brother Uncle Phil stepped in and beat the guy up. The husband died and Charlie's Dad vowed never to hit his own kids which is why when Charlie's Dad did hit him, he got down on his knees asked for forgiveness. Charlie loves his Dad.

Through Charlie's letters you get a real look into his experiences. One of the things Charlie did that left an impression on me was the tapes he made. An idea he took from a boyfriend of his sister. I like the "First time I Drive" tape and that Charlie liked thinking that when he plated that tape when he was old he'd remember those first drives. I can see myself doing something like that.

Charlie's first year of high school really changes him by robbing his innocence. Almost polluting him. He really did allot of changing. He seemed so innocent in the beginning of his letters but then as he experiences so much- sex, drugs he changes Smoking, drinking I thought was sad, but Charlie had some good friends that did care for him. Patric though exposed Charlie to some frightening things like the men's meet up park. I don't know how to respond to this book. I was confused by Charlie being so overwhelmed he ended up in the hospital- all his emotions on over drive. It was so sad when everyone was leaving for college. Interesting how his family dynamics changed. How his brothers and sister matured and actually loved each other. It was really nice that Charlie really was happy for everyone. How they were moving on. Aunt Helen and Bill were right Charlie is very special.

Speak by: Laurie Halse Anderson

Fantastic! A must read for all us stupid teenagers out there who think we know it all. Speak is about a girl named Melinda who is about to start High School the following fall and goes to a blow-out of a party her friend Rachel got them invited to. I love the way this book is written! It's a running narrative and dialog. You don't get to find out what happened at the party until the en of the book because, Melinda won't 'Speak.' In fact, the author has a technique that I really loved as a reader. people would ask Melinda specific questions and the dialog would read--Mon:Whats wrong with you? Me:______. I thought the blank was very effective and powerful because you quickly got the picture of everyone around Melinda getting frustrated and totally misunderstanding her because Melinda wouldn't 'Speak.' Melinda goes from a happy 8Th grader with friends, to a severely depressed 9Th grader. Her grades are worse each marking period. She has no friends, they all abandoned her because she called 911 at that out of control summer party.

Since the order of events in this book are sort of backward, its hard to relate it without giving away the end. High school begins and Melinda is totally alone. All the kids hate her and make fun of her because she called the cops and because of that phone call some one's brother got arrested. So Melinda tries to survive each day best she can alone and hated. Her x-best friend Rachel now with new friends in tow make quite comments and giggle behind her. People throw paper at her. Melinda is awkward and uncomfortable everywhere in school except art. As the school year rolls along things keep getting worse. A new girl, Heather, from Ohio comes to the school- Merryweather High School, in Syracuse- who is the only person who will sit and talk to Melinda at lunch. Heather is a bit high strung but tries to include Melinda in what shes doing, and be her friend. Melinda though barely participates. You can't help but wonder why when Melinda has nobody else and is dieing for friendship that she is so dead pan around Heather. Heather is so perky trying to find where she fits in and Melinda is just like- whatever or "_______ ." Its hard for Melinda to see her old friend enjoying themselves. Shes always looking to escape and she finds a very creative way to do that. Melinda finds a dirty old, now unused, janitor's closet. She cleans it up and makes herself a little hide away where she can get away from it all. Home is no better nobody communicates with each other. They just leave notes to let each other know whats going on day to day as they pass each other. Her parents fight a lot so Melinda retreats to her room with her bunnies and bed. Melinda's behavior has really changed and neither parent has asked her whats wrong. They just get more frustrated and Melinda gets more alienated.

As Melinda's grades continue to sink, " Principle principle," and guidance councilors call her in along with her parents who have had it. Melinda's Mom even curses out Principle Principle for prying into the workings of their marriage. Melinda says, "_______ ,"but so much is going on in her head world. Should she tell them? Can she tell them? Melinda mentions always wanting to take a nap. That very Freudian- sleep is the ultimate escape. What Melinda doesn't see is that some people really do want to help, Heather really does want to be her friend, and other people might try too, except Melinda won't let them. She can't let the because of what happened at that party.

The school year continues on. I like the technique that the author uses to mark the passage of time. At the end of each section she posts Melinda's grades. Very clever.

Heather is tiring to get involved with a very fashionable group of girls called the "Martha's," who do a lot of good things for people and dress alike. Heather is trying to take Melinda along but Melinda just can get involved. Eventually Heather dumps Melinda although it really isn't Heathers fault. Heather is trying to fit in and Melinda refuses to fit in, so one day at lunch Heather drops the "we're not friends any more," bomb on Melinda. Cruel yes , but Heather does make a point of saying you really weren't my friend - like you never invited me to sleep over and stuff. Heather was right. Now Melinda is really alone. She starts cutting school. Her parents have had it- yet another phone call from the school. Mr. Freeman (who hates the school board) a great character himself, really notices Melinda, he likes her, and is trying to help her through her art to find out who she is as an artist and as a person. In the beginning of the year each student picks a topic that they will develop all year. Melinda's topic is a tree, which is very symbolic of Melinda actually. Trees grow and withstand damage, parts die, new parts grow and continue to live and survive. This process is exactly what Melinda is going through in life. She is in the process of dropping dead wood, healing, and beginning to grow a new. Tree symbolism is used in another place in this book, the trimming of the dead wood on the oak tree in Melinda's front yard symbolizes the healing that takes place between her father (her parents) and herself.

Mr.Freeman helps Melinda to find herself again through Picasso. Picasso's cubic figures 'speak' to her. She is finding herself again and getting stronger. She starts going to class, doing her work. She also starts doing the yard work which is metaphoric -cleaning away all the dead leaves exposing the new growth beneath. Melinda finds she doesn't need to go to her closet at school very much anymore. Shes finding strength in herself and it feels good.

Heather, who hasn't spoken to Melinda in months, comes over to Melinda's house unexpected one day and begs Melinda to help her decorate the road with balloons for the prom. The "Martha's" direct Heather to do this but they can't help because they have to get ready to go to the prom. Heather just wants to use Melinda, she doesn't really want to be her friend. Heather comes up with a lame excuse about how the 'Martha's ' are driving her nuts and how Melinda was smart to get out from under the 'Martha's ' when she did -... DA DA DA DA DA....Melinda though doesn't but in and she says- NO! Heather is shocked that her manipulation didn't work. Go Melinda! The fact that the prom is coming up is a very important turning point for Melinda though because there is something she feels she must do. There is a guy at school that Melinda calls, " It."She hates him. She fears him. " It," is Andy Evans or as Melinda also calls him- Andy Beast, a handsome, super pig jock. Prom is coming and Rachel Melinda's childhood ex best friend who dumped Melinda after she called 911 at that summer party - is going to the prom with "It" and Melinda can't let that happen because "It" raped her at that party and Melinda too scared to tell anyone was never able to "speak" a word about it to anyone. Her fear, her pain, her confusion, her inexperience, her youth, kept her silent and destroyed her from within. Even though Rachel has hurt Melinda so bad she cannot let her be put in danger by going to prom with "It". Melinda gets all the courage she can muster together and tells Rachel what happened at that party. Rachel is shocked. At thirteen Rachel and Melinda went to wild unsupervised party where there was beer. Melinda drank one - two - four and got drunk. "It" asked her to dance then forced himself upon her and she was too frighten and messed up to stop him. He held her down, raped her and walked away. Melinda knew she needed help and called 911. She couldn't even "speak" to tell police where she was but the police were able to trace the call. When they came the kids at the party were already so angry she was afraid to get the help she needed and just slipped away into the darkness and walked home. Rachel said why didn't you tell me - who was "it". When Melinda told her Rachel was in instant denial. She refused to believe her and walked away.

On the bathroom wall at school where anonymous written conversations are scrolled, Melinda in liberation writes, "guys to stay away from" and under that writes " Andy Evans". Prom happens- Rachel goes with "It" and something big does happen. Andy gets too aggressive- Rachel gets away- Andy is alone and embarrassed- prom ends. Andy infuriated that Rachel wouldn't even talk to him confronts Melinda and traps her in her closet and says you liar you told people I raped you... and begins to try to raped her again. This time Melinda finds her voice she screams "noooooo." She fights and is about to cut his throat with a piece of broken glass when the girls lacrosse team beats on the closet door. Melinda is saved. Everyone understands and Melinda is free because she used her strength to fight "It" and "speak." The details of what happens at the party, school, and in the closet are well worth reading this book.