Out of My Mind [Hardcover]

Sharon M. Draper (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 10 and up

“If there is one book teens and parents (and everyone else) should read this year, Out of My Mind should be it” (Denver Post).Melody is not like most people. She cannot walk or talk, but she has a photographic memory; she can remember every detail of everything she has ever experienced. She is smarter than most of the adults who try to diagnose her and smarter than her classmates in her integrated classroom—the very same classmates who dismiss her as mentally challenged, because she cannot tell them otherwise. But Melody refuses to be defined by cerebral palsy. And she’s determined to let everyone know it…somehow. In this breakthrough story—reminiscent of The Diving Bell and the Butterfly—from multiple Coretta Scott King Award-winner Sharon Draper, readers will come to know a brilliant mind and a brave spirit who will change forever how they look at anyone with a disability.

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Eleven-year-old Melody has a photographic memory. Her head is like a video camera that is always recording. Always. And there's no delete button. She's the smartest kid in her whole school—but no one knows it. Most people--her teachers and doctors included--don't think she's capable of learning, and up until recently her school days consisted of listening to the same preschool-level alphabet lessons again and again and again. If only she could speak up, if only she could tell people what she thinks and knows . . . but she can't, because Melody can't talk. She can't walk. She can't write.

Being stuck inside her head is making Melody go out of her mind--that is, until she discovers something that will allow her to speak for the first time ever. At last Melody has a voice . . . but not everyone around her is ready to hear it.

From multiple Coretta Scott King Award winner Sharon M. Draper comes a story full of heartache and hope. Get ready to meet a girl whose voice you'll never, ever forget.

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A Note to Readers from Author Sharon Draper

People often ask me, "What was your inspiration for Out of my Mind?" I reply, "All great stories emerge from deep truths that rest within us." But the real truth of a story often can be found in places that not even the author has dared to explore. I suppose the character of Melody came from my experiences in raising a child with developmental difficulties. But Melody is not my daughter. Melody is pure fiction--a unique little girl who has come into being from a mixture of love and understanding. Out of my Mind is the story of a ten-year-old-girl who cannot walk or talk. She has spirit, determination, intelligence and wit, and no one knows it. But from buildings that are not wheelchair--accessible to classmates who make fun of her she finds a strength within herself she never knew existed.

I was fiercely adamant that nobody feel sorry for Melody. I wanted her to be accepted as a character and as a person, not as a representative for people with disabilities. Melody is a tribute to all the parents of disabled kids who struggle, to all those children who are misunderstood, to all those caregivers who help every step of the way. It's also written for people who look away, who pretend they don't see, or who don't know what to say when they encounter someone who faces life with obvious differences. Just smile and say hello!

--Sharon M. Draper

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From School Library Journal

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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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 10 and up
  
• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers (March 9, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 141697170X
• ISBN-13: 978-1416971702
• Product Dimensions: 7.3 x 5.7 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (97 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,047 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #3 in Books > Children's Books > Social Situations > Special Needs
  • #89 in Books > Children's Books > Social Situations > Family Life

More About the Author

Sharon Draper is a two-time Coretta Scott King Award-winning author, most recently for Copper Sun, and previously for Forged by Fire. She's also the recipient of the Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe Author Award for New Talent for Tears of a Tiger and the Coretta Scott King Author Honor for The Battle of Jericho and November Blues. Her other books include Romiette and Julio, Darkness Before Dawn, and Double Dutch. She lives in Cincinnati, Ohio, where she taught high school English for twenty-five years. She's a popular conference speaker, addressing educational and literary groups both nationally and internationally.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

50 of 53 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Must Read!!!, March 5, 2010

By 

Alison "AlisonCanRead" (Minnesota) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Out of My Mind (Hardcover)

Melody is trapped in her own body. Born with cerebral palsey, she is unable to perform most of the basic physical functions that the rest of us take for granted. But her mind is completely normal - actually, it's significantly above normal. However, almost no one realizes that she has any intellectual capabilities. She attends school as part of the special education program, being partially integrated into the regular classroom, where kids are outright mean or awkwardly nice. When she gets a device that enables her to "speak" for the first time in her 11 years, people are shocked that she is like anyone else. And not ready to accept it.

Melody is a delightful, observant girl. Her physical challenges and pure intellect enhance her other senses - she sees, smells, and hears things that the rest of us don't notice. She also has a real gift for reading people, enhanced unfortunately by people's negative interactions with her. She finds enjoyment in life but also is, understandably, incredibly frustrated. I can almost physically feel Melody's frustration, her "tornadoes", with her. The difficulties of not being able to express yourself are unimaginable.

I think every child should read this book. Preferably with a parent or teacher to discuss as the book goes along. Draper does not sugarcoat Melody's life. She is blessed with parents, a neighbor, and some teachers who love her dearly, understand her, and fight for her. Her mother is a true hero. But she also experiences hate and ignorance that no child should have to go through - from other kids, from doctors, and from teachers. The story is often heartbreaking as Melody is let down repeatedly. But her innate sense of self and her loving family also keeps her strong.

This book changed the way I think of disabled children (forgive me if I don't use the most politically correct terms; I'm trying the best I can). We get to know Melody and her classmates, who have Down's Syndome, autism, and other physical and mental disabilities, as people, not just as labels. We realize how they sad and frustrated they get at cruelty and inadequate education. We see their joy when they have fun and are accepted. In my head I know that differently-abled children have emotions just like everyone else, but it's so much more powerful when reading Draper's book. I really feel what they're feeling. It makes me want to get involved in the special education system, to advocate for disabled children, and to just be a kinder person. I hope everyone will feel this way as they read this book.

19 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Flamingnet.com Top Choice Book-really enjoyed reading Out of My Mind, March 3, 2010

By 

Flamingnet Teen Book Reviews "FLAMINGNET COM" (Baltimore, Maryland USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Out of My Mind (Hardcover)

Imagine having a photographic memory, imagine being
extremely smart..... Well that's exactly how eleven year old
Melody is except there is one problem, she can't talk or
walk. Every day she goes to school to a special class for
kids that have problems and every day they go over the
alphabet. For her, though, she is past just learning the
alphabet. Melody belongs in advanced classes but she has no
way of letting anyone know that. Doctors and experts
diagnosed her with cerebral palsy and insisted that she
wasn't capable of learning. Little did they know she is
destined to prove them wrong. With a little help from a
friend and a lot of hope, Melody finds what she's been
looking for all her life. She will prove to the world what
she can accomplish.

I've never read any of Sharon Draper's books before,
but what caught my eye on this book
was the cover. It is very interesting how the fish is
jumping out of its bowl and it goes very well with the
title. The characters were written very well and sometimes I
found myself getting frustrated with some of Melody's
problems. I started worrying if it would end okay. Even
though it had some sad parts I really enjoyed reading Out of
My Mind. I would recommend this for kids 11 and
up.

Reviewed by a young adult student reviewer
Flamingnet Book Reviews
Teen books reviewed by teen reviewers

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Funny, Relatable, Thought-provoking, November 11, 2010

By 

Jennifer Donovan "5minutesforbooks" (Houston, TX) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Out of My Mind (Hardcover)

Eleven-year-old Melody is in a wheelchair and she cannot speak; therefore, people have always assumed that she is mentally retarded, although the opposite is true. She has a photographic memory, so her knowledge base is vast. When she is finally given the gift of language through the intervention of her caregiver and a school worker and can express herself, her intelligence is revealed.

I loved Melody's voice and her courage, and her first-hand experience of how difficult it is to be different in middle school. Because the whole story is told "out of her mind," it is very readable (and a little humorous), and didn't feel heavy, though a sympathetic and merciful reader will feel sad for Melody, especially when she experiences a big disappointment -- as my 12-year-old daughter did -- much more so than her tough mom. For me, because I had related to her so much, instead of focusing on the disappointment, I rejoiced with her in her triumphs, and the trial seemed not something that was necessarily a result of her disability, but rather typical middle school posturing.

Highly, highly recommended for both adults and 10 - 13 year old readers.