Customer Reviews

Out of My Mind

5 star:		(73)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

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.

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

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.

A few weeks ago, Kelly wasn't feeling well so I took off work to fill in for her at the kids' Valentine's Day parties at school. First I went to Chloe's second grade class. Chloe is non-verbal and has some physical limitations and development delays due to an unidentified genetic disorder. Prior to this year, she has been in special ed classes, with part of her day spent in regular ed classes. Now she is in a regular ed class all day with a full-time assistant and is the only child in her class with special needs.

As I sat and watched her interact with the other kids at her table, the other kids' interactions with her impressed me. Without fail, they were sweet, helpful, friendly, and even conversational. Chloe will nod in response, but does not speak, and does not make a lot of eye contact. Yet these kids spoke and interacted with her as if nothing was different about her. One of the little girls asked me if I was Chloe's daddy. I told her I was. She said, "Chloe and I are best friends!" I'm telling you I almost lost it there; I had to exercise lots of self-restraint not to cry in front of her. I loved seeing Chloe, who is content to play alone in her room for hours on end, in this setting, with such great support from her peers.

Then I went to help set up for Elliot's 6th grade party and was intercepted by one of his teachers. Almost breathlessly, she said, "I read a book you have to read. It's called Out of My Mind, and I thought of Chloe the whole time I was reading it!" She had told Elliot the same thing, so he read it and told Kelly about it so she read it, and since they liked it so much, I picked it up yesterday. I hardly put it down and finished it in a day.

Not only did I think of Chloe as I read, but I thought of Kelly, me, and Chloe's teachers and assistants. In Out of My Mind, Melody, the 11-year-old protagonist, has cerebral palsy. Though confined to a wheelchair and unable to speak, her mind is active, brilliant, and and capable of remembering anything she reads, sees, or hears. Much of her school years have been spent in boring, humiliating special ed classes. When she can read thousands of words, of course she gets upset when the teacher is teaching the alphabet. Finally, through her own initiative and the persistence of her assistant and her family, she gets an assistive communication device, giving her a voice for the first time in her life. Finally she can communicate verbally and participate more in school, even helping the school's quiz team qualify for the national finals.

Throughout the story, my heart broke for this precious girl, bringing me to tears on several occasions. How frustrating not to be able to makes oneself understood. How isolating not to be able to interact with people around you. I, of course, kept thinking of Chloe, my smart little girl who has such a hard time communicating. I don't know that she has a photographic memory like Melody, but I know she's always been smarter than we know. What's going on in her mind that we can't see or hear? How many inane, boring lessons has she sat through, thinking "I know all this! Stop with the baby lessons!" And when Chloe watches the other kids run and talk and laugh and play, does she long, like Melody, to be a part? Does Chloe get embarrassed by her difficulty in feeding herself, that she wears diapers at age 9, that she rides the handicapped bus?

I thought of Kelly as much as I thought of Chloe. Melody is a lucky girl in that her mom never gives up believing in her. She has to come to bat for Melody time and again, sometimes in a militant way. In the same way, Kelly has been Chloe's biggest advocate, her momma bear instincts pushing and pushing to make sure Chloe gets services she needs and is in the best placement for her growth. And the link between Melody and her mom could just as well describe Chloe and Kelly. Kelly knows what Chloe's every little gesture means, and usually knows what Chloe's thinking. She can tell by looks if Chloe feels bad, and can smell when she's thirsty. Weird. Melody's dad plays a smaller role, like me; he's not as clued in to his daughter as the mom, but does all he can do to help.

Draper is a long-time teacher--honored as National Teacher of the Year in 1997--and the parent of a child with "developmental difficulties" (her description) so it's no surprise that her classroom scenes and dispatches from the special ed classroom seem so real. And her appreciation for the special ed assistants should be noted; I agree with Draper--those folks do wonderful work for way too little money. I for one am so thankful for the faithful ladies who have fed Chloe, changed her diapers, and invested in her learning and development during her school years.

Out of My Mind gives the reader a believable window into the mind of a disabled individual. But Draper's real target audience is the rest of us. As Draper says on amazon.com, Out of My Mind is "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!" I may be too honest in this admission, but this book has reminded me to take more time with Chloe, to remember that even when she acts like she's in her own world she is hearing and seeing and taking it all in, and that it's up to me, Kelly, and all of Chloe's support team, to work together to help Chloe take part in her world and to overcome the challenges in her life.

[...]

I recently read Out of My Mind by Sharon M. Draper. The copyright is 2010. You can find this book at your local bookstore or library.

This fictional story is about an eleven year-old American girl, Melody, who has cerebral palsy. She wants to communicate with her parents, little sister Penny and her friend but, because of her cerebral palsy, cannot. She goes to a neighborhood school and after school goes to her neighbor's house. Melody wants to be in a class with the "regular kids" at school. She is in a special class for kids with low intelligence all day because people think she cannot learn. One of her friends in this class has an electric wheelchair. Melody really wants one.

My favorite part about this book is when Melody gets a perfect score on a practice test which earns her a place on her school's "Quiz Kids" team. It is a team that competes with other schools' teams to see which team has the smartest kids. Melody's team wins the first and second rounds which earns them a trip to Washington, D.C. for the finals. How is Melody able to teak the practice test? How is D.C.? Does she get a new wheelchair? Does she get to be in a class with the "regular kids"? Read the book to find out!

For the past 7 years I've worked in an inclusive setting for a public school and there are arguements on both sides (inclusion verses Special Day Classes) depending on a student for the case to keep them included in every classroom as their peers. The general arguement is: you never know until you try.

Melody's story told through Sharon M. Draper could have been the story of any one of my students. Melody has Cerbral Palsy that has severely limited not only her physical abilities but her ability to use her own voice. But her thoughts are there not only does Melody share her experience, but she shares the concerns of her parents as she grows from a tiny baby to the 11 year old she is in the book.

Realism from the doubts her peers have of Melody's ability and the difference between helping and tormenting are brought to the surface of Ms. Draper's work that could have only been created by someone who worked (as she has) in a school setting.

I sincerely appreciate Ms. Draper's willingness to introduce adaptive technology (any computer based item that provides a communication system for someone with a disability) not just because Melody needs it to effectively communicate but early interventions (such as a communication board) that make the arguement for adaptive technology in cases necessary.

Out of My Mind encourages the reader to look beyond the bookcover of every person and remember that not everything is as it seems.

Nicely done. This book should be required reading at every school, since every school now includes a special needs population. Required reading for both teachers and students. It brings to light the problems faced by many students in our public school system that are often overlooked. Just as Melody says, the special needs kids are a tough bunch, they aren't easy, and just as in Melody's case, they often spend their days relegated to a seperate room, not being included and not feeling involved. "Normal" students can do alot to change this and I think the author does a great job of illustrating this.

Melody is a great character; you really feel her pain and frustration at being essentially locked inside her own brilliant mind. Her classmates are portrayed realistically, as typical fifth graders-warts and all. The book avoids the typical cliche happy ending and in the process shows us that the true happy ending comes with the growth and self assuredness that Melody achieves.

This is truly a heartwarming book and I really hope that it is embraced by teachers and students alike. My only gripe is that some of the special needs students in Melody's class were sort of cliche'd caricatures ( typical down syndrome kid, typical autistic kid, etc..). I will happily forgive however because of the authors great writing, and her creation of such a remarkably sensitive story of growth, acceptance and joy. Truly her words were "sweet liquid gifts". A stellar effort.

A well written read! The book puts you into the mind of an 11 y/o girl with a photographic memory that is also smarter than most children her age. She's just like all the other 11 y/o's except...she can't walk, talk or do anything for herself. She was born with Cerebral Palsy. This book has a way to REALLY place you in her shoes and wheelchair! If you are a TEACHER or ANYONE that works in EDUCATION or the MEDICAL FIELD...this is a MUST READ! I would say that if you work with anyone with any different abilities but to be totally HONEST...I think EVERYONE should read it to get the perspective of how life is if you could NOT do what most of us take for GRANTED each and every day. If I could rate it a 10...I would! If you are a teacher....do yourself and your students a favor...make this part of their curriculum! You WON'T be sorry!

Summary: "From the time I was little, words were like sweet, liquid gifts, and I drank them like lemonade....but I have never spoken one single word. I am almost eleven years old.... I can't talk. I can't walk. I can't feed myself, or take myself to the bathroom. Big bummer." (p.2/3) This book is written in the first person, from the point of view of Melody, a girl who suffers from cerebral palsy. She has a photographic memory and is one of the smartest kids in school, but no one knows it. Until....a great technological breakthrough helps her communicate. Finally, Melody has a voice, but it is a challenge for others to accept her and acknowledge her amazing abilities. This is a story about heartbreak, courage, inspiration, and grace.

My Reaction: The book's cover and first few pages captured my attention right away. Melody's voice is so rich and enticing, that I found myself eager to see what direction this story would take. As I read the early chapters, I found myself getting frustrated with Melody's frustrations - to the point where I actually took a break from reading it for a few days. I later realized the author intentionally took the time to get her readers frustrated, so they could relate to Melody's situation. Once the story got rolling, it was one you didn't want to put down. I absolutely loved the relationship Melody had with her neighbor, Violet Valencia. She was determined to help Melody learn and be successful. There were a few unexpected, shocking events later in the book that had me in tears! I really enjoyed this book!

Melody is smart, witty, loving, and hard-working. But no one knows any of that. Melody was born with spastic bilateral quadriplegia--cerebral palsy. She can't move on her own. And she has never spoken a word. With help from her family and a Medi-Talk computer, Melody sets out to live the life of a normal fifth grader. Will the other students at Spaulding Street Elementary ever learn to accept her as one of them?

Out of My Mind is a compelling, first-person story of a brilliant girl trapped in a broken body. This incredibly real novel will leave you wondering what it really is that makes us human.