Out of My Mind
Draper, S. M. (2010). Out
of my mind. New York, NY: Atheneum Books for Young Readers.
This book is the story of a young eleven-year-old girl named Melody who has cerebral palsy. She is confined to a wheelchair and is unable to speak, but that doesn't stop her brilliant mind. Despite her jerky, uncoordinated movements and awkward shouts and noises, she is a normal girl with with and smarts to match. Unfortunately, this is hidden to most who don't see past her wheelchair and disability. Melody is so frustrated by her inability to communicate and voice her thoughts that she truly feels she is going out of her mind. Then one day everything changes and she is given the gift of speech, albeit a bit slow and imperfect at first. Things begin to change for Melody, but not everyone is ready to accept her as the new smart Melody when they were content to just have her in the background in her wheelchair. When Melody enters the school's trivia competition she has to face the prejudices and doubts of both fellow classmates and teachers.
This is an excellent book to teach children about cerebral palsy and how to be empathetic towards those who are different. It not only shows the inside mind of a young girl living with cerebral palsy, but also the daily pressures and attitudes from others that she must face daily. Kids will find Mallory is easy to relate to and will feel her pain as she struggles to communicate throughout the book. I would highly recommend this book. Suggested age is ten and up.
Sharon Draper's website including study guide, discussion questions, and class activities for book:
Out of My Mind book trailer:
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