Out of My Mind by Sharon M. Draper

Summary

Out of My Mind is the story of 5th grader Melody, an unpopular, grossly undestimated young girl who also suffers from cerebral palsy. Melody takes in the entire world around her, absorbing every word anyone speaks to her, sensing colors and emotions when she hears music; yet, she cannot communicate to her family, classmates, or friends that she has little more than a single thought in her mind. As readers, we experience every frustration, excitement, and disappointment she feels. We listen idly as the doctor tells her mother that she and her husband have "options" to alleviate the burden of caring for a disabled child. We watch as the special education residents of room H-5 transition from grade to grade, getting a new and often incompetent teacher each time. We cheer when Melody's mother stands up for the children in room H-5, as they suffer through intolerable kiddie music and reviewing the alphabet despite their learning it years ago. We admire people like Mrs. V. and Catherine, two of of Melody's biggest supporters outside of her own parents. We wonder, along with Melody's mother and father, if their new baby will be born "normal;" and when she is, we breathe a sigh of relief on their behalf. When Melody becomes the victim of two girls' jests, we defend her in our minds. When she is finally given the chance to speak, through use of a Medi-Talker machine she names Elvira, we are right there smiling with her family and friends. As Melody goes through 5th  grade, attempting to prove herself to her classmates, teachers, friends, and family members, we go through it all with her, from the hurt she feels when her teacher claims he didn't make a hard enough test because she pulled a perfect score to the vast amounts of time she spends preparing for the Whiz Kids tryout and competition to the heartache she feels when she's left behind by her teammates. Learn more about Melody and her friends by reading this book today!

Personal Reflections

I honestly cannot say that I've read a more heart-wrenching book! Out of My Mind is really about more than a 5th grade girl growing up with an illness. It's about so much more . . . prejudice, having an open-mind when it comes to people with disabilities; perseverance, pushing through the hard times and conquering the world when all odds are against you. Melody could very well be based on a real person. She has very real emotions, which are more than adequately described in this book. I admit feeling some frustrations of my own as I was reading, but they were tied to the frustrations Melody felt when things weren't going her way. Draper is an excellent author, who is able to create an element of empathy in her writing. You feel what Melody feels. At the same time, I found it very sad in a lot of ways. Think about how the world views people who are different. Think about how you would treat a person like Melody. Would you be the one who stands up for her like Catherine, or would you be the one who shys away and pokes fun like Claire? A novel such as this one makes you think. Highly recommended.