<h3>When She Hollers</h3>

Voigt, C. (1994). When She Hollers. NY: Scholastic. ISBN: 059046714X.

Plot Summary: Tish can no longer endure her stepfather's sexual abuse. As the novel begins, Tish disrupts the family breakfast by pointing a knife at Tonnie, the stepfather, and threatening to attack him if he ever comes near her again. Tish has tried reasonable measures before resorting to the knife, but her mother is in denial and she has no teacher or friend to help her.

She takes the knife to school and the novel focuses on the rest of that single, painful day. Tish is always in trouble at school and cringes at the prospect of the Principal calling her stepfather to pick her up. She runs away from the campus and in a panic, contacts to her friend’s father, who is an attorney, and reveals her story to him as a plea for help. He becomes her only lifeline and source of support as Tish determines her own course of action. In the cliffhanger ending, she goes home to confront her stepfather and opens the door.

Critical Evaluation: This book is gripping, chilling and told with a lot of truth. We understand ow powerless Tish feels and we comprehend the full force of her victimization. Yet the book ends with a positive message aboutTish finds the source of her inner power in order to overcome the ignorance, neglect and disregard that has been exhibited by the adults in her life.

Reader’s Annotation:
Tish has had enough. She will no longer be abused by her stepfather. She will no longer be passive. She will take a knife with her wherever she goes. Today is not going to be like any other day. Today is going to be different.

Information About the Author:
Cynthia Voigt was born in 1942 in Boston and attended Smith College. She has worked for J. Walter Thompson advertising agency in New York City and has been a teacher in Sante Fe, New Mexico. After a divorce in the 1960s, she continued teaching and began writing young adult novels. She remarried and devoted herself to her children and her writing. Since then, she has authored over twenty books and lives in Deer Isle, Minnesota.

Genre:
Teen Issues: Sexual Abuse
Contemporary Life: Coming of Age

Curriculum Ties: English class, Psychology class, Book clubs

Booktalking Ideas:
• How the first chapter reveals much and keeps readers hooked
• Tish’s inner conflicts and range of emotions
• Positive and negative adult role models in Tish’s life
• Statistics of teen sexual abuse and what to do if aware
• What do you think Tish decides at the end of the novel?

Reading Level/Interest Age: Grades 9-12

Challenge Issues/Defenses:

Potential Challenges:
• Depictions of sexual behavior
• Adult Language
• Portrayal of violence

Defense Strategy:
• Provide our Collection Development Policy (which includes Young Adult scope): http://ww2.cityofpasadena.net/library/collection.asp

• Provide Statistics about Sexual Abuse and Teens:
http://www.darkness2light.org/KnowAbout/statistics_2.asp

• Provide book reviews by actual readers on a publicly accessible website:
http://www.amazon.com/When-She-Hollers-Cynthia-Voigt/dp/059046714X

Why This Book Was Included: I’ve always been aware of Cynthia Voigt as a young adult author, but couldn’t recall if I’ve ever read one of her books. This one was recommended on a list and I thought it might be a fast read. It was a short book, but wow, what an intense subject with the potential to make readers feel powerless as well as powerful.