My eleven year old granddaughter highly recommended this book and even let me borrow it from her personal library. She loved it and knew I would as well. Thank you to a sweet granddaughter who likes to share the good things in life!
Out Of My Mind, by Sharon M. Draper is an amazing book for young readers, but I would also suggest it for anyone. When I started to read about Melody and her limitations due to cerebral palsy, I was hooked within a few pages.
The book begins with Melody Brooks as a baby with a photographic memory. As she progresses through life to the age of eleven, you find that due to cerebral palsy she is trapped in a body that denies her the ability to walk, talk, feed herself, or take herself to the bathroom.
The one thing going for her is above average intelligence and that photographic memory. Plus her love of words, words, and more words.
Her mom and dad are the best supportive parents you could ask for given the circumstances, but they have to work and are lucky to have a retired nurse as a neighbor. Mrs. Violet Valencia (aka: Mrs. V) sees the potential in Melody right away, and becomes the best babysitter Melody’s parents could have ever found.
A dog, Butterscotch, and a new sister, Penny, are added to Melody’s world and with the help of her parents and Mrs. V., Melody adapts to all the changes.
When Melody is old enough she attends a mainstream school. She has an electric wheelchair that she can work with her thumbs, her only body parts that function well. She has to deal with teachers and fellow students who do not understand her needs at all and many times are heartless when dealing with her.
They don’t understand her capacity until she gets a computer (Medi-Talker) that allows her to pull words and expressions that have been added—many by Mrs. V—into sentences. Melody uses her thumbs to hit the selections provided, and the computer says them out loud. She is beyond excited to finally be able to “talk”.
Melody has a new assistant, recently assigned to her at school, Catherine, who is a student at a nearby university. When Catherine finds out they are having a practice round for the Whiz Kids quiz team in Melody’s history class, Catherine asks if Melody wants to play the round. Melody is excited, and she is the only one to get all the answers correct.
Mr. Dimming, the history teacher is in charge of getting the Whiz Kids quiz team through several rounds of competition and then to Washington, D.C. for the final competition. After Melody aces the practice quiz, Mr. Dimming makes the mistake of saying the following statement to Conner, one of Melody’s classmates, in front of the whole class. “Look at it this way….If Melody Brooks can win the first round, then my questions must not be difficult enough!” (p.155)
Catherine, Mrs. V, and Melody’s parents consult after that horrible statement and begin to help Melody prepare for the competition. The great thing about this book is that the reader learns facts and words right along with Melody.
Melody’s class keeps winning until they are headed to Washington, D.C. for the final competition. Melody is beyond excited along with her family, Mrs. V. and Catherine. Melody will be going to Washington, D.C.
The rest of the book is full of ups and downs, and plot twists that will shock any reader. It will keep you on the edge of your seat to the very end.
I highly recommend this book for any age group although it is specifically for young readers. There is so much for all of us to learn about handicapped people and how to interact with them. And, you will learn many new words and facts that you’ve never heard before! I hope you invest the time for this book. It will be worth it.
Happy reading and have a great week!