Imagine having all your thoughts and feelings trapped inside you, not being able to share them with anyone - your family, your classmates, your teachers, your friends. Melody writes, “By the time I was two, all my memories had words, and all my words had meanings. But only in my head,” she writes. “I have never spoken one single word. I am almost eleven years old.” Through this story, we hear how about Melody's journey, surely a difficult one, but with Melody's sense of humor and sheer determination, a journey that we learn more about what we might be able to do.Out of My Mind
by Sharon Draper
New York : Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2010
ages 9 - 12
available on Amazonand at your local library
Through the help of her parents and a devoted neighbor, Melody starts to use a communication board to communicate with those around her. This helps her integrate more with other students at school, and yet it is still a painful, difficult journey.
Some have suggested that part of Melody's story are unrealistic, and yet I found that this story helped me develop more empathy for others trapped in similar situations. Soon after reading this, I sat next to a man on an airplane who had cerebral palsy and was traveling with his parents. Reading Out of My Mind
If you like Out of My Mind
Review copy came from my home library. If you make a purchase using the Amazon links on this page, a small portion will go to Great Kid Books (at no cost to you). Thank you for your support.
I read this book last year, and as a special ed teacher thought it was great! Nice review.
ReplyDelete