Summary

Melody struggles with the sometimes seemingly impossible challenges that present themselves with cerebral palsy, which means Melody cannot move independently or voice the thousands of thoughts that are running around in her head. While there are days that she completely breaks down and has fits of rage, there are other days where Melody is strong willed and determined to make the people around her understand her beyond her disability. Out of My Mind captures the raw, defeated feelings that are inextricably tied to failing but also shows the power of hope and being outright ambitious. Melody displays bravery when facing “normal” kids who believe that she is incapable of doing anything worthwhile, and the enormous strides she takes throughout the novel are inspiring. She immediately shatters the preconceived notions surrounding people with disabilities by voicing her thoughts to the reader. She quickly disrupts these notions by notifying the reader that even though she is confined to her wheelchair, she is so much more beyond that.

“By the end of the day, after she’s been at the hospital all day, then fixed dinner, then bathed Penny and me and put me in bed, I can tell she’s kinda reached her max. She breathes hard. Her forehead is sweating. I sometimes reach out and touch her hand with mine. I can feel her calm down, and she’ll trace her fingers along my cheek, just like she does in the morning, and give me a kiss good night.”

—Sharon Draper, Out of My Mind

Why should I read this?

Exposure to a book like this will prove to be beneficial to students because more often than not, children struggle with finding their voice when being bullied or teased—they seek someone to reach out and understand what they’re going through. By observing a character showing empathy, readers are more likely to internalize those actions and hopefully demonstrate similar actions when the opportunity to do so presents itself. Observing a resilient character like Melody can inspire students and give voice to the voiceless.

Overall review

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⅖ bookmarks—I think the storyline was very unique, and it contains a great message that can resonate with younger readers. However, I did not like the author’s writing style; she forced the narrative voice by trying too hard to sound like a young girl and overused exclamation points.