From the Bookshelf of Mock Newbery 2026…

Out of My Mind (Out of My Mind, #1)

Sharon M. Draper

Start date: July 1, 2010

Finish date: July 31, 2010

Why we're reading this: We had a tie for the book this month. Choose one to read or both if you like.
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Dec 25, 2012 Jan rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites

Moving and Insightful. This book will help you see differently abled children and adults with new eyes.

Melody is a brilliant 11 year old girl with a photographic memory. She remembers everything she reads, hears, or sees. She is probably the smartest student in her school. Only problem is, no one knows this except her. Melody was diagnosed with cerebral palsy by doctors who don't believe she is capable of learning. She is confined to a wheelchair and cannot walk, speak, or do anything for herse Moving and Insightful. This book will help you see differently abled children and adults with new eyes.

Melody is a brilliant 11 year old girl with a photographic memory. She remembers everything she reads, hears, or sees. She is probably the smartest student in her school. Only problem is, no one knows this except her. Melody was diagnosed with cerebral palsy by doctors who don't believe she is capable of learning. She is confined to a wheelchair and cannot walk, speak, or do anything for herself. At school she spends her day in a classroom with other special needs children and teachers who recite the alphabet to her daily and have no clue what is going on inside her head. Stuck inside her head, Melody is literally "going out of her mind", not being able to communicate her needs or tell people to stop all the "baby" lessons. In 5th grade she begins attending a regular classroom for one period a day where she longs to join in the conversations and shout out all the answers to the teacher's questions.....all of which she knows. With the help of her supportive parents and a neighbor/caregiver, she is able to get a computerized talking device, (a Medi-Talker), that allows her to speak for the first time. Melody doesn't hold back and some people are not prepared to hear what she has to say.

One of the things I loved about this book was how we get to see the world through Melody's eyes and from inside her head, sort of how we get to see the world through the eyes of a kid with Aspergers in Mockingbird or with synesthesia in A Mango-Shaped Space. I loved how wonderful her parents were, such strong advocates for her. Her mother was such a momma bear when anyone treated Melody disrespectfully. I loved the neighbor Mrs. V and her classroom aide. They both treated her with respect and dignity. She had so many people loving and supporting her. I'm wondering why no one thought to get her the Medi-Talker or looked into getting something like that for her knowing how smart she was. She had to figure that out on her own. I think books like this one are so important for kids to read (and adults also) so that they, and we, can understand what others who are differently abled and have Aspergers, Autism, or Cerebral Palsy go through on a daily basis. It might help students be a little more understanding and compassionate toward the students who are getting mainstreamed into their classrooms.

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Jun 17, 2013 Amber Aslakson rated it it was amazing

Shelves: young-adult-read, read-in-2013, classroom-reads-2013

This book was amazing! I loved how vivid it was and the "voice" of the narrator Melody. I have worked with students with CP in the past and it really answered many questions I often wondered and still wonder. The story was told with passion by the author, but still the reader could remain engaged by the message it had without feeling "preached to". I thought the other characters developed in the story were authentic and engaging as well. I loved that through the book the reader becomes someone c ...more

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Oct 09, 2011 Mary Klepper rated it it was amazing

Amazing voice for a voiceless character. This book had me from the first page. I couldn't get over the way the teacher treated Melody. I wanted to smack him upside the head! Very powerful book on how we as a society look at people with special needs and how we treat them. ...more

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Apr 09, 2013 Brandy rated it liked it

I always struggle when books come out around the same time with very similar themes. It is hard for me to judge those books on their own merit. I couldn't help compare this book to Wonder. Quite honestly there were things I liked better about this book and their were things I liked better about Wonder.

I think I enjoyed the over all writing of Wonder better, but I liked that this book seemed more real. Not everything ends up all tied neat in a bow where people live happily ever after.

It is good f ...more

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Feb 20, 2012 Lorna rated it liked it

Shelves: childrens, realistic-fiction

The book was good in some ways (mostly the message) but I read anothor book on this same subject several years ago that I thought was better and more powerful. STUCK IN NEUTRAL by Terry Trueman is also about cerebral palsy and I kept comparing the two.

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