Book Review of Out of My Mind
The Children’s Book Review
Out of My Mind
Written by Sharon M. Draper
Ages 10+ | 304 Pages
Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers | ISBN-13: 9781416971702
What to Expect: Reality Fiction and Disability
Author Sharon M. Draper was a voracious reader as a child. Her mother would take her to the library every Saturday to check out ten books. She is a five-time winner of the Coretta Scott King Literary Award, and Out of My Mind is the recipient of many awards and achievements.
Melody Brooks, a lively girl with cerebral palsy, often finds life frustrating because she can’t speak, write, feed, or go to the bathroom without help. What she does have is a photographic memory, which means that she can recall everything she experiences in detail. When Melody’s mom falls pregnant, she hears her parents discussing fears that this baby will also have special needs. The baby, Penny, is born healthy and “normal.”
At times, Melody’s feelings of relief move to jealousy as she watches Penny learn to do things she will never be able to do in her lifetime. Her parents try everything they can to help her live the most normal life possible, and they enroll her into a public school with an inclusion class that allows special needs students to participate—provided with a device that helps her to communicate with people, including her classmates and aide, Catherine. The kids in the class think she is simple-minded until she passes a test with a perfect score, leading to some exciting events.
One day, as Melody leaves home for school, she notices Penny is about to be hit by their car. Melody does everything she can to warn her mom but to no avail. Will Penny be ok? Will Melody forgive herself for not being able to warn her mom? The answers can be found in this incredibly realistic and fantastic story which we can all learn from Melody. Understanding what Melody goes through each day is powerful. Her efforts to show her intelligence to the world make her a brave and inspiring shining star.
Out of My Mind teaches and challenges us to be accepting, thoughtful, and kind to all people, including people that may be different from us. You will be out of your mind with joy that you read this book.
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About the Author
Sharon M. Draper is a three-time New York Times bestselling author and a recipient of the Margaret A. Edwards Award honoring her significant and lasting contribution to writing for teens. She has received the Coretta Scott King Award for both Copper Sun and Forged by Fire and was awarded the Charlotte Huck Award for Stella by Starlight. Her novel Out of My Mind has won multiple awards and was a New York Times bestseller for over three years, and Blended has also been a New York Times bestseller. She taught high school English for twenty-five years and was named National Teacher of the Year. She now lives in Florida. Visit her at SharonDraper.com.
What to Read Next If You Love Out of My Mind
Stella by Starlight, by Sharon M. Draper
Wonder, by R. J. Palacio
Paperboy, by Vince Vawter
Fish in a Tree, by Lynda Mullaly Hunt
Excellent Books About Disabilities and the Fight for Disability Rights
Bianca Schulze reviewed Out of My Mind. Discover more books like Out of My Mind by reading our reviews and articles tagged with Reality Fiction.
