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I'm not giving this book more than 3 stars for several reasons. 1. The references such as some of the vocabulary and technology will date this book very quickly. Kids don't use MySpace anymore, so it is already dated in that regard. Phrases like "snap" are becoming outdated, too. So I'm thinking that in two or three years this will lose its currency and interest for kids. 2. The mean girls are just too mean. I was not surprised at the major crises precipitated by these girls and they felt very o
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An outstanding book. Should be required reading for every elementary child WITH their parents.
My fourth grader's teacher read this book to their class, and she pestered me endlessly until I read it myself. She thought it was absolutely fantastic and it was the first book she wanted to download to her new Nook on Christmas.
I thought it was a really wonderful book, though I had to wonder at the doctors who tested Melody and/or her stubborness. If she knew the answer the doctor was looking for and knew he was testing her intelligence, why would she purposely choose the "wrong" answer? ...more
I thought it was a really wonderful book, though I had to wonder at the doctors who tested Melody and/or her stubborness. If she knew the answer the doctor was looking for and knew he was testing her intelligence, why would she purposely choose the "wrong" answer? ...more
We ended up listening to this one on a road trip and the kids really liked it. I liked that it taught a message about including others with disabilities and being grateful for things we often take for granted, like being able to communicate. By the second half of the story, I was tiring a little of the two-dimensional mean characters — but maybe that’s not a bad thing, to be annoyed with their rotten behavior! Still, the writing was kind of average and a lot of this book feels dated already.
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Ten year old Melody has cerebral palsy. She can't walk, talk, feed herself or get her hands to do what she wants them to do. After years in a self-contained special education classroom, Melody is mainstreamed. Draper avoids the classic pitfalls of books about disabled children.
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Wonderful book about the beauty, strength and intelligence locked inside those we often label as "handicapped" or "disabled." Great discussion starter for children and adults alike.
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While this is a fascinating look at the experiences of a very bright but profoundly disabled child, it never quite moves past that premise. It's a sobering, but never completely depressing story about a girl who has been trapped in her own mind for eleven years, just now getting access to the means to communicate. A bit of plot is thrown in, once Melody has the means to communicate, but it's not particularly compelling. Her daily life will be gripping to the kinds of readers who enjoy a peek int
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A book that really makes you think. A few things seemed unrealistic, but the emotions described were right on I think.
3.5 stars. I really liked the story line, but I hated the writing and the ending. The writing was for a very young audience, and I felt like the ending had so much tragedy that it was too much. It felt very contrived. I also thought the slang the students used was very forced and didn't work for me.
I did like reading from the point of view of someone who really has no voice. It often makes me wonder how much people without the capability to speak have to say, but no one knows they have anything ...more
I did like reading from the point of view of someone who really has no voice. It often makes me wonder how much people without the capability to speak have to say, but no one knows they have anything ...more
Though this was a powerful story and very well-told, I felt it was unrealistic. I wish I didn't feel that way but I just didn't feel the total story had its basis in possibility or reality. I can only wish that the phenomenally helpful people surrounding the protagonist really could be there for those who have disabilities like cerebral palsy. Newbery? It's the kind of book that might make it. Not for me, though.
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I thought this was a great read. It would be excellent for mid graders to read to help them overcome misconceptions about people with disabilities and to create some good discussion. I've heard a lot of criticism about how Melody Brooks was portrayed, but I think if we remember the audience this is aimed at it becomes appropriate. Baby steps here readers, baby steps.
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I liked going inside the mind of a young girl with cerebral palsy. She can
only use her thumbs and smile, but needs help with everything else, so people assume she has low intelligence, which is an incorrect assumption. She learns to communicate, which is such a life
changing event. I think I will view disabled people a little differently now.
only use her thumbs and smile, but needs help with everything else, so people assume she has low intelligence, which is an incorrect assumption. She learns to communicate, which is such a life
changing event. I think I will view disabled people a little differently now.
My 8 year old daughter gave this 5 stars, and I would say 3.5, so we'll go with 4. It's a bit dated already, and that's unfortunate because what it does well is open kids' eyes to special needs.
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Published in 2010, this middle grade novel now feels a bit dated. But it’s still very, very good.
#ReverseReadathon #DeweyAug Book 2.
#ReverseReadathon #DeweyAug Book 2.
Nov 19, 2011
Lola
marked it as to-read
Dec 20, 2012
Jen
marked it as to-read
Oct 07, 2013
Melissa Thomson
added it
