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Out of My Mind
Escrito por Sharon M. Draper
Narrado por Sisi Aisha Johnson
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Comece a ouvirNota do Editor
A brave voice…
A brave book celebrating children with disabilities, “Out of My Mind” tells the tale of brilliant 11-year-old Melody, whose cerebral palsy has left her voiceless — but not without a voice.
Descrição
From award-winning author Sharon Draper comes Out of My Mind, the story of a brilliant girl who cannot speak or write.
Melody is not like most people. She cannot walk or talk, but she has a photographic memory; she can remember every detail of everything she has ever experienced. She is smarter than most of the adults who try to diagnose her and smarter than her classmates in her integrated classroom - the very same classmates who dismiss her as mentally challenged because she cannot tell them otherwise. But Melody refuses to be defined by cerebral palsy. And she's determined to let everyone know it...somehow.
In this breakthrough story - reminiscent of The Diving Bell and the Butterfly - from multiple Coretta Scott King Award winner Sharon Draper, listeners will come to know a brilliant mind and a brave spirit who will change forever how they look at anyone with a disability.
Ações de livro
Comece a ouvirDados do livro
Out of My Mind
Escrito por Sharon M. Draper
Narrado por Sisi Aisha Johnson
Nota do Editor
A brave voice…
A brave book celebrating children with disabilities, “Out of My Mind” tells the tale of brilliant 11-year-old Melody, whose cerebral palsy has left her voiceless — but not without a voice.
Descrição
From award-winning author Sharon Draper comes Out of My Mind, the story of a brilliant girl who cannot speak or write.
Melody is not like most people. She cannot walk or talk, but she has a photographic memory; she can remember every detail of everything she has ever experienced. She is smarter than most of the adults who try to diagnose her and smarter than her classmates in her integrated classroom - the very same classmates who dismiss her as mentally challenged because she cannot tell them otherwise. But Melody refuses to be defined by cerebral palsy. And she's determined to let everyone know it...somehow.
In this breakthrough story - reminiscent of The Diving Bell and the Butterfly - from multiple Coretta Scott King Award winner Sharon Draper, listeners will come to know a brilliant mind and a brave spirit who will change forever how they look at anyone with a disability.
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Avaliações
Well-written YA novel whose main character is trapped within her own mind by her disabilities until she acquires a computer adaptation that allows her to "speak".
This is where Draper makes some interesting choices, demonstrating that, while the tool is amazing in opening many doors for Melody, human nature and the vagaries of fate don't always go Disney for young protagonists.
Turns out Melody is scary-smart, but she's not perfect, and she's not an angel. She gets angry. She gets hurt. She tries hard, has some successes and some failures. Through it, she continues to grow and to change and to seek out a balance in her life that she can't achieve in her body.
This is where Draper makes some interesting choices, demonstrating that, while the tool is amazing in opening many doors for Melody, human nature and the vagaries of fate don't always go Disney for young protagonists.
Turns out Melody is scary-smart, but she's not perfect, and she's not an angel. She gets angry. She gets hurt. She tries hard, has some successes and some failures. Through it, she continues to grow and to change and to seek out a balance in her life that she can't achieve in her body.
We all have disabilities, only some are visible. A very touching and enlightening story.
Everyone who raved about R.J. Palacio's Wonder should read this book. Melody has cerebral palsy, which means she can't walk, can't even move her limbs much at all, and can't speak. But her limitations are purely physical. Melody has enjoyed reading and learning since she was read to as a baby, and now, at eleven, she is very intelligent. She knows the definitions of countless words, and knows a lot of trivia - she just can't prove it to anyone. The communication board her parents made is very limited, so Melody has to try and communicate through blinks, nods, and the occasional tantrum. When she starts fifth grade, her special class starts attending inclusion classes, which opens Melody's world up and leads to new opportunities. You'd think a book about a fifth grader would be low stakes, but there was some excellent suspense in this story! Melody was so well-written that I wanted to be her friend. I work with adults with disabilities, and this book really opened my eyes to what the individuals with CP are going through every day. It's an amazing book for everyone to read, and I'm going to be recommending it to everyone I meet.
When I read Out of My Mind by Sharon Draper I didn't know what to expect, but I was pulled in by Melody’s story. My heart went out to her knowing that she was just like everybody else inside. I can’t imagine how frustrating it would be to have everyone misunderstand my wants and needs! This book was a reminder that although we all know that most people are similar, no matter how they look; most of us don't treat them that way. I realized how important it is to remember that any one of us could look or seem one way to others, but inside we could be someone totally different. It was so eye-opening to watch Melody puzzle through the world around her and try to fit it in. I highly recommend this book to kids from third grade and up. Adults everywhere will also enjoy the story and will learn a thing or two. Anyone who has ever felt misunderstood will relate to Melody and the struggles she's going through. You'll have to read this one to find out how it all works out! Since I have finished it, I have been thinking about the way I might treat people without even realizing it. I look forward to reading more books by this author!
The front cover of this book captured my attention first, and I am so glad it did. "Out of my Mind" gives a poignant, heart-breaking insight into the life of a child with cerebral palsy. Eleven-year-old Melody has an unique voice, and her courage and determination are inspirational. Trapped in a body that won't do what she wants it to do, Melody must suffer the indignity of being treated as mentally, as well as physically, handicapped despite her strong intellectual capabilities. My heart bled for Melody as she struggled to communicate and be accepted by her teachers and peers, but I adored Catherine, Mrs V and Melody's parents who loved Melody unconditionally, fought for her and encouraged her to reach her potential. This book has a wonderful message about acceptance, and would make a fabulous Yr 7 Lit Circles novel.
Out of Mind is about a young girl named Melody who appears to the outside world as severely handicap and incapable of feeding herself. With the help of her parents and babysitter Melody is able to prove just how wrong they are. After she receives a machine that helps her communicate Melody is unstoppable, proving appearances are not what the seem.
The cover art portrays an important incident that happened to Melody in the book. Melody has cerebral palsy and has never spoken a word. She is dependent on others for everything. Melody is very intelligent and has managed to learn lots of information from audio books and television. She is mostly dismissed by classmates except when she happens to flail her arms or make screeching noises which annoys her so called peers. When a student brings in a piece of up to date technology Melody gets the realization that there must be some sort of technology that is designed for children lke her. At this point in the book, Melody is 11 years old. Currently she has words printed on her tray that she points to when she wants to communicate but the vocabulary is extremely limited. Through great dificulty, Melody finally gets someone to understand her idea and act on it. The wheels turn slowly but eventually Melody is equipped with a machine that enables her to communicate with the world around her. Does this completely open up Melody's world, yes, but it also opens a whole new world of CP.
"Out if My Mind," has been nominated for the North Carolina Children's Book Award for Middle School, 2012.
"Out if My Mind," has been nominated for the North Carolina Children's Book Award for Middle School, 2012.
It’s very good. I was invested right away and I didn’t expect to be. It’s like Wonder in that the kid has a disability, but in this case, it’s cerebral palsy. The mind works fine, but the body doesn’t. And thus we get a nice look at the terrible way schools lump all the “special ed” kids in a single room, whereas Wonder was about bullying and prejudice and superficiality.It dragged in the middle, but it’s not a scmaltzy ending like Wonder. (I mean, Wonder by Natalie Merchant for the movie trailer? Really?) As one would expect, it’s inspirational, but not cheesy. There are consequences for actions on both sides, and both show a not-so-great side of humanity. I recommend it, especially because it’s short.
This book is from the perspective of an 11 year old girl named in Melody who has cerebral palsy. Melody can't talk, walk, eat on her own, and go to the bathroom on her own. She is stuck in special needs classes and all she wants to do is talk and learn like all the "normal" kids. She gets the chance to go part time in a fifth grade class but that becomes a challenge because the students make fun of her and they don't see her true potential when is comes to school. Melody eventually gets and aid to help her in the classroom and she even gets a fancy device that she can form a sentence on and it will speak for her. Now that she has a device that can help her talk she was able to join quiz team that would go to competitions to test their knowledge. She was the smartest on the team but the students and even the teacher didn't see her full potential and on their biggest completion she was left. melody was devastated. She become depressed after that event but she chose to take the high road and show up to school and stay strong. This is a realistic fiction book because this is actually happens many people in the world today have cerebral palsy and this is a challenge they face today.
This story is about an eleven-year-old named Melody who has Cerebral Palsy. The story followers her as she is trapped inside her own head with limited communication with the people surrounding her. She is super smart and has a photographic memory and is faced with education system challenges.
In my opinion this is a great book for older children to read. This story introduces children to new perspectives that they might not have considered beforehand. I enjoyed this story for many reasons. The first reason why I enjoyed this book so much was because it introduced me to a new perspective I might have not considered before. I had known about Steven Hawking’s ability, but had not considered how it would effect a young student, like Melody. The language of this story is very clear and well written. The voice of an intelligent child is very prominent. The writing is organized very well and the plot of the story is developed in a unique way that helps the story flow easily. The character development is another reason why this story is so amazing. Each character that is introduced in this story, is clearly developed and helps the reader get a better understanding of the people in Melody’s life. The point of view in this story is told from first person perceptive, which makes the reader feel as though they are able to read Melody’s mind. There are many reasons to enjoy this story, and I think that fifth graders should read this as a class to be introduced to new perspectives. The whole message in the story is acceptance and I think that is an important idea to introduce children to.
Astounding. This has inspired me to create a bulletin board in my school library for "Ms Molly's OMG of the Month." It was heartbreaking and beautiful and taught a lesson sadly missing from most children's and YA books - sometimes there aren't any happy endings. Or, if there is, it's bittersweet and not what you wished it were.
I loved this book! It is about a girl with cerebral palsy who is very, very smart. She tells her own story about the struggles she faces knowing so many words but not being able to speak and express herself. It also shows the struggle and assumptions that other people automatically make about those with disabilities. Great book! I really want to read more books by this author.
Would have been a 5 if not for a sort of ridiculous end game to create tension. No teacher would have done what the one in this book did.
Melody is confined to a wheelchair and can't talk, but she's actually brilliant and synesthetic. She narrates the story, sharing with readers about her family, her school, and her experience as a person often overlooked, ignored, and underestimated. Readers get a sense of Melody's physical challenges and the way people misunderstand her, not realizing that her mental abilities and personhood aren't affected by her limitations. Melody is a wonderfully complex character, and I loved getting to know her. I laughed, I cried, and I cheered for her resilience. This powerful story is a great readalike for fans of Wonder.
This is a young adult book with a lot of heart. Eleven year old Melody has a lot to say but she is unable to talk or walk. She has cerebral palsy and is confined to a wheelchair. Melody is the smartest kid in her school but most people; her teachers, classmates, and even her doctors don't think she's even capable of learning. The first half or so of this book we spend inside of Melody's head and it's a real eye opener to feel what she feels. Then, something happens that make it possible for her to speak what's on her mind and she certainly has a lot to say. I loved this book and can recommend it not only for young adults but for not so young adults as well.
A very interesting book about an intelligent girl with cerebral palsy who is unable to move or speak. It was interesting. I thought the ending was a bit much and unnecessary. But the book as a whole was interesting.
In my opinion this book is a MUST READ! This book is unique because it gives the perspective of an experience that would have never been noticed. Melody, a girl who could not speak, write, or walk, but remembers every detail from birth. Readers build a connection to her character, and are suspended by her story. The determination Melody has to not allow her disability to define her leaves this book to be an amazing story to share. I would give this book five stars and encourage this book to be read and discussed by middle school students.
THANK YOU so much for Out of My Mind. I'm 35 and I live with Spastic Quadriplegia Cerebral Palsy. Even though I can walk, talk, and feed myself, I use a power chair for my everyday life. I loved this book and I read it in a little over 48 hrs. I could relate so well to Melody, and I couldn't believe she was fictional. A yr. ago, self-published my own story, and I hope it does for readers what Out of My Mind did for me; It inspired me and reaffirmed what I have always felt, "That everyone's more alike then different. We all dream, we all laugh, and we all LOVE.
A wonderful book about a child who is smart but cannot speak because of her Cerebral Palsy. Once she gets a special computer to help her communicate, her teachers realize that she is very smart. A trivia bee entrance exam proves it too.
4Q, 2P Not being heard, both voice or message is challenging for any age, particularly because we live in a communicative society. But when Melody is not heard due to her inability to speak, she is judged by students and teachers as if she does not have anything smart, funny, empathetic, or interesting to say. This story allows the reader (of any age) to put themselves in the mind of Melody and allows us to feel and see the challenges of confinement to a wheel chair and stigma of "abnormal." Melody's laugher and excitement presents as uncomfortable and scary to most who do not know her; yet she is just like any other 11 year old girl. She does have a gift of higher intellect and intuitiveness than most children her age. The reader is swept away by Melody's desire to participate on the class spelling bee team and her perseverance to contribute and win. Unfortunately, both the teacher and students fail her in many ways, highlighting bullying and judging are unattractive qualities. You will cheer on Melody throughout the entire story!
Extraordinary
This would be a great book to teach in my classroom. The character of Melody is so complex and it lead me to really understand how frustrating it would be to be a person with cerebral palsy. To not be able to express your views about the world would be devastating, yet Melody uses this fire as inspiration and becomes exactly that to those that know her best.
Out of My Mind was first recommended to me by a co-worker. The story is lovely and breath-takingly fragile. I wept, I laughed, I felt for the main character, Melody (and everyone else with disabilities like hers). Draper really found a way to emotionally involve readers in her story.The novel centers around a ten-year-old girl named Melody. She's really smart, has a photographic memory...and no one knows. Everyone thinks she is retarded and has no capacity for learning. Melody has a very severe form of cerebral palsy. She can't walk, talk, or properly move her arms. Her parents still have to spoon-feed her. Poor Melody has to suffer through special education classes at school where the teachers treat the kids like infants and they are constantly relearning the alphabet and simple math. It drives Melody crazy because she's such a smart girl.When Melody is almost eleven, she finds out about a special computer specially designed for people like her. It's programmed to talk at the push of a button. Slowly, Melody is able to demonstrate just how intelligent she is, which makes everyone around her second-guess everything they thought they knew about people with disabilities.This book will change you. You'll never think about people with disabilities the same way again. Melody is so brave and strong despite the odds stacked against her. I absolutely couldn't put this book down and rooted for Melody all the way through. In fact, this almost feels like the type of book Jodi Picoult would write for children. It has that same delicate aura to it, the same intense look at hot-button issues, the same surprising twists and turns. The book's title, Out of My Mind, is wonderful; it describes Melody and her situation perfectly. The cover image of the fish jumping out of the bowl suits both the title and a scenario that occurs inside the book and was just the right choice.Indeed, if you're looking for something deep and meaningful, check out Draper's amazing book. I hope more students will pick up this title as well; it will really make them think twice before teasing their less capable peers in the future.
This well written book from the point of view of Melody, a fifth grader who has never been able to speak but hears words all around her. She has been in class with kids who are also challenged since kindergarten but come fifth grade, she is now entering some inclusion classes. With that comes snickering and teasing and uneasiness from the other kids. She struggles with this and they struggle with accepting her, especially when it turns out she is so bright. This book will make you laugh and cry and really think about acceptance and respecting all people.
This was such a great book, very moving! Most people have written 11 year old Melody off, since she can't walk, talk, or feed herself, but she's got a photographic memory. Everything goes in, but nothing can come out. She tries to show the world how smart she is, but kids act like kids, and things don't quite turn out the way she hoped. I know I will never look at people quite the same way again!
This was pleasant enough, and it reminded me, in a nostalgic way, of a Scholastic book club book. Melody is a fifth grader with CP, and she cannot speak or write until she learns to use a computer assistance device that enables her to communicate. This aids her in participating in class, making some tentative connections with her classmates, and winning a place on the school's competitive quiz team.Despite the fact that it's all a thoughtful enterprise, it's one of those books with not a lot of there there, if you get what I mean. It unfolds more or less as you would expect, although I knocked it up another half star for avoiding a pat, predictable ending.Grade: B-Recommended: It's very sweet, I would say it's solid for fifth graders, I'm not sure adult readers would find it that compelling unless they have a special interest in the topic
I just finished reading this AR book and I loved it! I finished reading it in 2 days. This is a story about an eleven year old girl who has cerebral palsy. She is very intelligent but because of her disability she has never been able to speak a word in her life. People just assume that she is not capable of thinking, but she really is one of the smartest kids in the fifth grade. Unfortunately she has to deal with being an outsider because her classmates don't want to make an effort to befriend her because she is "different." This is a great story about wanting to fit in, overcoming your fears, and learning that there are more important things in life than being popular.
Melody was born with Cerebral Palsy. She must be buckled in to her wheelchair at all times, she drools and has spasmodic moments, and she can't talk. Even though she can't talk, her mind works all the time. The problem is, no one knows this. A couple of teachers have figured out her gestures and nurtured her learning along the way. Most, along with her doctor, believe she would be better off in a nursing home. Then enter Mrs. V. the neighbor. She babysits Melody and that is when her real learning begins. It starts with learning to roll over and grab things. Throughout the year Mrs. V. teaches her words and sentences and even creates a board for her tray with pictures and words to help her communicate. Then comes the day when she is in fifth grade and put in inclusion classes. Seeing a girl's new computer she communicates with her aide that she wants something like it. After some research they find a machine, the Medi-Talk, that will help her do just that. Imagine every one's surprise when she returns to school after Christmas and is able to communicate. Still not everyone believes she has a high functioning brain. When she makes the Whiz Kid Team and takes them to the next level her teacher is astounded and is apologetic for not realizing or understanding that just because her body was broken didn't mean her brain was. But not everyone else feels this way. I was on an emotional roller coaster through this book. I cheered Melody on when she would accomplish something that was so easy for me and difficult for her. I got angry when people judged her. I devoured this book in just a couple of hours. I think this should be required reading for all students and teachers. Although I borrowed this book from our school library the day it came in, I will make sure that other teachers and students know of its existence and will be purchasing it for my own shelves. Books that teach us such a powerful lesson and make us look at how we look at others don't come along very often. This book was definitely well written.
I loved this book and Melody, the main character. Based on what I know of kids with disabilities, this is a realistic portrayal. However, I hated the ending.