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.
~Amazon.com
This week’s Summer Reading Challenge book review is from a friend of mine, Kari, who is a 4th grade teacher.
She recommended this book so I thought it was fitting that she get to post the review too.
Kari’s Review
Be warned: once you start reading Out of My Mind you won’t be able to put it down.
You’ll be swept into Melody’s world – her frustrations with not being understood, her love for her parents and understanding teachers, her excitement when she receives a Medi-Talker and is finally able to express herself, and her pain when her classmates disappoint her.
It’s great to see how Melody becomes stronger through her experiences, and makes you wonder about what’s inside of every person you’ve ever judged.
Sharon Draper does an amazing job of writing in the point of view of a ten-year-old with Cerebral Palsy. Her writing style flows and makes this book a quick-read.
I would recommend this as a teacher read aloud for 3rd-5th graders, even for those who could read it themselves, as it would be a great opportunity to discuss physical differences.
You can go to Sharon Draper’s website and find an in depth interview with the author, discussion questions, and research and writing ideas.
Thoughts?
Disclosure: This post contains and Amazon affiliate link.