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Jan 17, 2011
Sarah
rated it
it was ok
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
audio,
children-realistic
This story is about 10-year-old Melody. She has cerebral palsy and needs help in nearly every area of her life--she isn't even able to speak. She stresses that, just because she can't speak or make her body do what she wants it to do, doesn't mean that she's unintelligent or deaf. In fact, she is very bright.
Melody tells the reader about her life at home and at school--where she's in the special education class and has teachers that usually assume all of the students in that class don't really n ...more
Melody tells the reader about her life at home and at school--where she's in the special education class and has teachers that usually assume all of the students in that class don't really n ...more
Trapped by the physical limitations of cerebral palsy, bright and creative Melody struggles to communicate even the smallest of things. With no ability to talk or write and a body that will not cooperate, Melody is isolated with her own thoughts and feelings. Though Melody possesses a photographic memory, her parents are told that she is mentally retarded. Forced to attend special needs classes, Melody is bored and unchallenged. Fortunately observant family and a super-star teacher realize that
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Another Newbery contender! One of the best children's books I've read so far this year, but I'm not sure if I like it more than One Crazy Summer.
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An outstanding book. Should be required reading for every elementary child WITH their parents.
This is a book everyone should read, especially teens and pre-teens. It tells the story of Melody, a 5th grader who has CP. I won't go into great detail of what the story is about but it had all the elements that make a book memorable. It made me laugh, it made me angry and it made me cry. The writing is solid and the pacing made the book flow. All the characters were identifiable as I was brought back to the feelings of what it was like to be in middle school, which was not a completely pleasan
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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.
The ...more
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So good! A girl with severe cerebral palsy that makes her unable to talk gets a computer that enables her to communicate with her peers. But just b/c she can now talk to them doesn't mean they're going to accept her… Kids can be really cruel.
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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
Seems like a perfect read-on from "Wonder". There are several dated aspects (MySpace, CDs, lack of extensive internet access, etc.) but those could be interesting conversations for readers - to what extent does technology open up communication for differently-abled people?
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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.
Very well done!
Nov 19, 2011
Lola
marked it as to-read
Dec 20, 2012
Jen
marked it as to-read
