BOTM for August is Out of My Mind

[SaraKat]

Please add your thoughts and comments about our book for August here!

[Louie]

Out Of My Mind is one of my all time favorite books. I will definitely be rereading it this month.

[Manybooks]

I have read Out of my Mind twice so far. Now the first time I read the novel, I enjoyed everything about Melody's story (and yes, I did love Melody's voice both times). However, the second time around with Out of my Mind, I have found especially many of the class bullies harassing Melody because of her challenges a bit too overtly and flatly stereotypical nasty (almost like they are akin to fairy tale villains). And yes, even with Melody's teachers, I did find it kind of annoying and frustrating that they usually are either absolutely wonderful and supportive or absolutely horrid, not supportive and often quite as nasty as the school bullies, with nothing really in between. I guess I kind of wanted some more nuanced characters with both the Bullies and the teachers, characters that were not so one sided.

[Carmel]

Manybooks wrote: "I have read Out of my Mind twice so far. Now the first time I read the novel, I enjoyed everything about Melody's story (and yes, I did love Melody's voice both times). However, the second time aro..."
I agree with your comments about several characters being portrayed as either too good or too mean but I rated the book with 4 * because I was keen to keep reading as I felt so much for Melody.

[Manybooks]

Carmel wrote: "Manybooks wrote: "I have read Out of my Mind twice so far. Now the first time I read the novel, I enjoyed everything about Melody's story (and yes, I did love Melody's voice both times). However, t..."

I also enjoyed the book and Melody, but would have enjoyed it considerably more if the characters (especially the teachers and the bullies) had been less one-sided and if the ending had been a bit less tacked on and better integrated into the story as a whole.

[Rebecca]

I agree with Manybooks. That was the main criticism I had with the book--I thought especially that the school's handling of her was pretty poor, and definitely not in keeping with the law (the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, which stipulates the least-restrictive learning environment and educating all children to the extent of their ability).

The kids being so cruel I can kind of see. Earlier in grade school, probably they wouldn't be, but middle school totally sucks that way. Or maybe my opinion is just colored by the fact that middle school sucked for me, mostly due to mean girls, and pretty nearly all the girls were mean at one time or other.

[Manybooks]

Rebecca wrote: "I agree with Manybooks. That was the main criticism I had with the book--I thought especially that the school's handling of her was pretty poor, and definitely not in keeping with the law (the Indi..."

Middle school totally sucked for me as well, being called a Nazi and even having one teacher claim that the bullying was my fault because of my "accent" (but still, even the meanest girls in my class were for the most part not as one sidedly horrid as some if not many of Melody's tormentors were depicted as being).

[Manybooks]

Rebecca wrote: "I agree with Manybooks. That was the main criticism I had with the book--I thought especially that the school's handling of her was pretty poor, and definitely not in keeping with the law (the Indi..."

With the school I kept wondering when exactly this story was supposed to take place. And even those psychiatrits telling the mother to put Melody away in some type of asylum feel more like something from the 30s to the 70s maximum.

[Rebecca]

I agree, Manybooks. It felt more like how it was when I was a kid, to be honest. But I don't think it was meant to be a historical setting. Certainly the technology that Melody gets access to is more contemporary. So I'm thinking that either it was a bit over-drawn to make a point, or big hunks of the country are still stuck in the 70s.

[Rebecca]

And that's a good point about real kids not really being so one-sided.

[Manybooks]

Rebecca wrote: "I agree, Manybooks. It felt more like how it was when I was a kid, to be honest. But I don't think it was meant to be a historical setting. Certainly the technology that Melody gets access to is mo..."

I think it might have been overdone to make a point but especially the attitudes of the psychologist and some of the teachers feel really historic and 1970s to me which makes the story at times a bit anachronistic. On the other hand, this was supposedly based on the author's own daughter and perhaps there are still enclaves in the USA and elsewhere where the general attitudes even amongst so called professionals are totally historically backwards with regard to ability, disability (and including putting people "away").

[Manybooks]

Rebecca wrote: "And that's a good point about real kids not really being so one-sided."

Yes, especially the meanest of the bullies felt more like fairy tale villains on cardboard than real children.

[SaraKat]

I agree with the statements about he villains being over the top, but I feel that a lot of books for younger readers have that quality. I guess it's hard for some young readers to pick up subtlety. I think the book did it's job and taught us to try to find a way to communicate with others and build a bridge for them to join us. I felt frustrated with Melody and I also felt her elation at the end. I enjoyed the book very much.

[Manybooks]

SaraKat wrote: "I agree with the statements about he villains being over the top, but I feel that a lot of books for younger readers have that quality. I guess it's hard for some young readers to pick up subtlety...."

What I have noticed is that more recent Middle Grade novels often seem to have an increasing tendency towards black and white heroes and villains, much more so than the Middle Grade novels of my youth (70s and 80s and of course also the classic Middle Grade novels of authors like Frances Hodgson-Burnett, L.M. Montgomery etc.).

[Rebecca]

Manybooks, I'm not sure if you're saying Frances H-B had more nuanced villains/heroes or the other way, but I have to say that with the notable exception of what's-her-name in The Secret Garden, I'd say her heroes are WAY too perfect. Not to say I don't love them, though :)

Montgomery was an artist in depicting the little things of real life, so not surprising that her villains are more human than not.

In any case, that's an interesting point about modern MG novels, and I'm going to have to look more closely at that as I read. I suspect a bunch of it is the over-use of the mean-girl trope, which is probably done partly in hopes of making kids want to not be the mean girl. Good luck, I say.

[Manybooks]

Rebecca wrote: "Manybooks, I'm not sure if you're saying Frances H-B had more nuanced villains/heroes or the other way, but I have to say that with the notable exception of what's-her-name in The Secret Garden, I'..."

Good point, but I was actually talking more about Mary and Colin who are definitely not perfect, but yeah, Dickon especially is more like a nature deity than a real human boy. But for example, I also found Mrs. Medlock an interesting mix of negativity and positive character traits.

The mean girl trope is definitely being overused and that does get a bit tedious, even for those of us who were bullied as kids.

[Manybooks]

Rebecca wrote: "Manybooks, I'm not sure if you're saying Frances H-B had more nuanced villains/heroes or the other way, but I have to say that with the notable exception of what's-her-name in The Secret Garden, I'..."

With L.M. Montgomery, the only novel where there is in my opinion a totally and stereotypical flat villain is Kilmeny of the Orchard, which I do not consider MG and which is one of the few works by her I have not at all enjoyed (full of paternalism, racist ideas regarding genetics etc.). And of course the grandmother in Jane of Lantern Hill, but there is so much about the novel to love, that it does not bother me, especially since during Jane's times in PEI the grandmother is not present.

[Sarah]

I did this as a read-aloud with my Grade 4/5 class last year...overall it was a hit. Of particular interest to me was the students who were the most engaged with it were a couple of my more challenging students

[Manybooks]

Sarah wrote: "I did this as a read-aloud with my Grade 4/5 class last year...overall it was a hit. Of particular interest to me was the students who were the most engaged with it were a couple of my more challen..."

Wow, I think that is really good news and indeed high praise for the novel.

[Justine]

I don't think I can add anymore to what's already been said. I'm glad I read it. I enjoyed it and would recommend it if someone asked me to recommend a book on this topic.