1. Bibliography
Draper, Sharon. 2010. Out of My Mind. Athenium Books for Young Readers: New York. ISBN 978-1-4169-7170-2.
2. Summary
Melody is brilliant. She can remember everything she has ever heard, every fact. She is the smartest girl in her school, but no one knows it. Melody can't tell people about all of the information that is floating around in her head. Melody has Cerebral Palsy. She is unable to speak or walk. In fact she has very limited control of her body. Melody struggles to communicate with the world around her. Even her family struggles to understand what she is trying to let them know. She discovers a machine that can speak for her and give voice to all of the words that are stuck in her brain. Melody's world begins to change and open up, but not everyone one is ready to fully embrace her. She struggles to fit into her new inclusion classes and with her new "normal" classmates.
3.Impressions
This was a story that really made the reader think. The story was told through the eyes of a young girl with Cerbral Palsy. If you were to look at her, you would see a girl in a wheel chair who couldn't speak, couldn't control her body, and sometimes had a tendency to drool on her self or grunt. But behind the surface was a genius. The book described her mind as a video recorder that never stopped recorded, was constantly replaying and there was no delete button. Even her parents don't know how smart she really is. The cover of the book speaks volumes. It comes from a story from the book where Melody has a fish. She wonders if he is just happen swimming around in the same bowl day after day. Then one day he just jumps completely out of the bowl. Melody is not able to get anyone in the room in time to save the fish. This is just like Melody. She is stuck in her wheelchair all the time and would love to have the opportunity to jump out. It really made me think about the way I look at the students that have disabilities. Just because there bodies limit them does not mean their minds don't work. This book told a beautiful story of one girl's struggle with this. However, I thought that Melody was the only character that had any depth to her. All of the other characters were very one dimensional. I also felt that the accident at the end of the story was just thrown in there for some drama. There were no details. Overall, I would recommend this story. It was a very thoughtful read.
4. Reviews
This review taken from http://www.amazon.com/Out-My-Mind-Sharon-Draper/dp/141697170X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1311030743&sr=8-1
Starred Review. Grade 4–6—Born with cerebral palsy, Melody, 10, has never spoken a word. She is a brilliant fifth grader trapped in an uncontrollable body. Her world is enhanced by insight and intellect, but gypped by physical limitations and misunderstandings. She will never sing or dance, talk on the phone, or whisper secrets to her friends. She's not complaining, though; she's planning and fighting the odds. In her court are family, good neighbors, and an attentive student teacher. Pitted against her is the "normal" world: schools with limited resources, cliquish girls, superficial assumptions, and her own disability. Melody's life is tragically complicated. She is mainly placed in the special-ed classroom where education means being babysat in a room with replayed cartoons and nursery tunes. Her supportive family sets her up with a computer. She learns the strength of thumbs as she taps on a special keyboard that finally lets her "talk." When she is transitioned into the regular classroom, Melody's undeniable contribution enables her class to make it to the national quiz team finals. Then something happens that causes her to miss the finals, and she is devastated by her classmates' actions. Kids will benefit from being introduced to Melody and her gutsy, candid, and compelling story. It speaks volumes and reveals the quiet strength and fortitude it takes to overcome disabilities and the misconceptions that go with them.—Alison Follos, North Country School, Lake Placid, NY
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