![]() But to read between those lines, first you have to make it to the last page. It makes sense that a student would ramble with backstory. The closing chapter explains that the book was written as Melody’s autobiography project for English class. There is an explanation for this, if you read between the lines. Sure, the story is chronological up to this point, but I was starting to feel like it was losing focus. ![]() Second, it seemed odd to be introduced to everyone else in her life - her classmates, her string of lousy teachers, the neighbor - and then suddenly find out the story’s family dynamic was completely different because there was a baby sister in the picture. At the end of chapter one, she mentioned being almost eleven, which seemed to set the stage for the story to tell us about her fifth-grade year, but I was still slogging through backstory trying to catch up to Melody’s current age. This came as a surprise to me - first, because by chapter nine, she was only eight years old. Seventy pages into the book, her baby sister is born when Melody is eight years old. Another chapter is devoted to describing her next-door neighbor, Mrs. She tells about every teacher from kindergarten to fourth grade and then describes every student in her special education class. She tells about her infancy, and early childhood, and a visit to a doctor. The first ten chapters essentially function to paint the picture of Melody’s life with cerebral palsy. There are dozens upon dozens of anecdotes featuring bits of dialogue and actions, but they’re framed by Melody overexplaining them and analyzing them and telling the reader why they’re important. Then begins the exposition, in which very little action occurs during the next nine chapters. I am almost eleven years old.” We’re left asking, “Why has she never spoken?” And so we turn the page. It ends with a grabbing line that hooks the reader: “I have never spoken one single word. It’s poetic in its prose, musing about the power of words. The two-page first chapter is beautifully written. The first ten chapters largely consist of Melody narrating her family’s backstory and explaining multiple times why she’s frustrated at not being like everyone else. I nearly gave up on the book in the first 90 pages. ![]() This book is a classic example of the importance of showing and not telling. Unfortunately, being able to speak her mind is only the first step of an uphill battle to be accepted by her peers. Once she’s able to express herself, she tries out for the school quiz team to put her knowledge to good use. That is, until her classroom aide does some research and discovers the Medi-Talker, a machine that will allow Melody to communicate with her family and classmates. She longs to have a voice and speak her thoughts, but no one ever knows what she’s thinking. She has synesthesia, or the ability to see colors when hearing music. She has a photographic memory and can memorize any fact shared with her. She lives her life strapped in her wheelchair to avoid falling out when her legs or arms spasm, and sometimes she can’t control the drool that dribbles from her mouth.ĭespite her inability to control her body, Melody’s mind is perfect. It’s not that she’s too shy - the eleven-year-old has cerebral palsy and is unable to speak her thoughts. Melody Brooks is a fifth-grader who longs to be able to talk to her classmates. I got around to reading it this past week. So when I saw the book on display during a weekend visit to Barnes & Noble, I grabbed a copy. I promised the class I would add the title to my to-read list. Several students recommended Sharon Draper’s novel because their teacher was reading it aloud in class and they were enjoying it. During a round of questions and answers, they asked me to name my favorite books, then shared their own favorites. I was introduced to “Out of My Mind” by fourth-graders at McKinley Elementary School in Ottawa, Ill.
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