Adapted from page 11 of Springboard:

Laurie Halse Anderson was 38 years old when Speak was published, yet she captures a teen girl’s voice through her diction, syntax, and imagery. To explore how, choose three quotes that you think sound particularly authentic, and write a response that explains how Anderson uses language to capture an authentic teen narrator’s voice. Be sure to:

• Consider what inferences can you draw about the character of Melinda based on these quotes.
• Make each quote the focus on its own paragraph, and explain what details capture a teen girl’s voice.