Jennifer Smith

  Melinda Fights Back  By Jennifer Smith Every once in a while, a book comes along that feels like it has been written just for us. Its message has a power that resonates even after we have finished reading the words. Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson is one of those books that just stays with you, a powerful and thought-provoking book that explores the reality of sexual assault and its aftermath. The novel is written from the perspective of Melinda, a high school freshman who has been traumatized by a sexual assault at a party. It is this event that silences her voice and isolates her from her peers. Through her eyes, we see the impact of the assault on her mental health, relationships, and academic performance. Anderson's writing is raw and honest, capturing the complexity of Melinda's emotions as she struggles to find her voice and come to terms with what has happened to her. The book is a poignant reminder of the importance of speaking out against sexual violence and the need

  Why American Born Chinese Works as a Graphic Novel By Jennifer Smith One of the most distinctive features of American Born Chinese is its use of the graphic novel format to tell multiple stories that intersect and converge in surprising ways. The graphic novel format allows the author, Gene Luen Yang, to create a rich and complex narrative that explores the themes of identity, culture, and belonging from different perspectives. In this blog, I will analyze how the graphic novel format affects the narration of Jin Wang's story (and the story of others) in American Born Chinese, and what are the advantages and disadvantages of this mode of storytelling. Jin Wang is the main protagonist of American Born Chinese, and his story is told in a realistic and chronological way, following his struggles to fit in as a Chinese American boy in a predominantly white school and society. The graphic novel format enables Yang to show Jin's emotions, thoughts, and experiences through both wor