#Review: Out Of My Mind by Sharon M. Draper #middlegrade

Summary:
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.

My review:
I do not usually read summaries before I review a book but this time I did.  I knew a person who has cerebral palsy and thought this might be an interesting read. The story is written entirely in first person from the viewpoint of Melody, the main character.

I thought this was really awesome because although she could not speak, her intelligence was beyond what people would consider "normal". I loved reading her thoughts, her feelings. I felt she should have been in a "regular" classroom from the very beginning. At the same time, I was appalled at the reactions of those who surrounded her and thought she was completely dumb, well, with the exception of her parents, an aide and a neighbor. 

I found these four people to be incredible and who saw Melody as a person first, not an individual with a disability, but abilities. Their interaction with her was wonderful and truly inspiring.

I cheered for Melody when something happened for her that made her life a little better but was heart broken for her as the people in her school treated her with disrespect.

Melody is an amazing person and if she had not been totally fictional, I would have loved to have known her.
The author's writing skills were top notch and I was able to immerse myself in the world of her characters. This is a must read for all middle grade children.

5 stars and a huge trophy for Melody that she so deserved! If you want to truly know what I mean, get a copy of this book right away. You won't want to put it down.

Disclosure: I won a copy of this book for my collections. The views expressed here are 100% my own and may differ from yours.

Where to find the author:

Amazon

Goodreads