Out of My Mind by Sharon Draper

Eleven-year-old Melody isn’t like most children her age. With her photographic memory, and a mind that never lets anything be forgotten, Melody might just be the smartest kid in Spaulding Street Elementary School. But nobody knows it. She would give anything to be able to tell her parents how much she loves them. But she has never spoken a single word. Says Melody, “I love the smell of my mother’s hair after she washes it. I love the feel of the scratchy stubble on my father’s face before he shaves. But I’ve never been able to tell them.” Being able to learn at school -- instead of being forced to listen to the same pre-school level lessons year after year -- would be a dream come true. But Melody can’t tell anybody what she thinks. She dreams of being able to walk. But even she knows it will never happen. Why is Melody like this? She was born with severe cerebral palsy. When she was just five years old, she was labeled as “severely brain-damaged and profoundly retarded.” Nobody, except for Melody’s parents, believe that she has the capabilities to learn. “[A] person is so much more than the name of a diagnosis on a chart,” said Melody’s mother. But still, Melody’s peers, her teachers, and even her doctors, refuse to believe that Melody is smart. If only she could tell them everything she thinks and knows. If only she could speak up, and prove to them that they’re wrong about her. But how can she?

When Melody finally finds a way to talk, for the first time in her life, it seems like a dream come true. Having always been muted, Melody couldn't be happier to finally have a voice. “Thoughts need words. Words need a voice.” Her new voice will help her to speak, and to show everyone what she can do. But not everybody is accepting of Melody’s speaking abilities. From bullying to mistrust, and everything in between, Melody finds that her dream might be harder to get than she ever thought it could be.

When asked where her inspiration for writing came from, Sharon answered: “As a previous Language Arts teacher, my students, some of whom didn’t like to read assigned texts, were my inspiration. I wanted to write something that young people could read that would be contemporary and exciting, yet have a solid literacy base for teachers to use. I’m still trying to write for that generation of readers who thirst for a good story.” When writing her novel, Draper asked herself “What if you were brilliant but could not communicate?” One of her daughters has cerebral palsy, just as Melody does in Out of My Mind. Says Draper, “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.”

Author Sharon M. Draper resides in Cincinnati, Ohio, where she once taught high-school English classes. She lives with her husband, Larry Draper, and four children. She now speaks of education and literacy in conferences with both national and international groups, and has been honored at the White House six times. She won the Coretta Scott King Award twice (once for her novel Copper Sun, and another for Forged by Fire, part of her Hazelwood High Trilogy). She also received the Jeremiah Ludington award in 2012, commemorating her great career in literature. She received the John Steptoe Author Award for New Talents, celebrating her debut book Tears of a Tiger. She has written several other books, including The Battle of Jericho, November Blues, Just Another Hero, Romiette and Julio, Darkness Before Dawn, Stella Starlight, Fire from the Rock, We Beat the Street, Panic, Not Quite Burned But Crispy on the Edges and Double Dutch, as well as three series: the Ziggy and the Black Dinosaurs series, the Clubhouse Mystery series and the Sassy series.

Told through the eyes of Melody Brooks, with astonishing simplicity yet meaningful events, Draper’s Out of My Mind will teach readers of all ages the importance of courage, family and love. Written in a brilliant, yet easy-to-read manner, Melody’s is a story that will keep readers on the edge of their seats, wishing the best for Melody until the last page is turned -- and her story will stick with readers even after that. Whether you’re a teen reader, young adult reader, or even an adult, this novel will find a way to slip into your heart. Draper’s passionate writing will allow readers of all ages to slip out of their minds -- and into the mind of Melody Brooks. A wonderful story for readers of all ages, Out of My Mind is a novel just waiting to change your outlook on life-- forever.