Summary Of Out Of My Mind By Sharon M Draper

Over this week I read a novel by the award winning author Sharon M Draper. Draper has been nominated for Coretta Scott King Award for Authors and John Steptoe New Talent Award. Needless to say she is a very accomplished author. I read the New York Times bestseller Out of my Mind. First of all, Out of my Mind is about an eleven year old girl named Melody. Melody was born with cerebral palsy and was declared retarded and mentally handicapped at a young age. During the exposition of the book the future did not look bright for Melody, and her family decided to enroll her at Spaulding Street Elementary school. Although Melody was consider retarded she is actually very wise and has an amazing memory. However, she did not learn much at school leading into the
conflict of the book.
Not everyone accepted Melody at school and most students just pretended that she wasn’t even there “Kids for the most part, ignore kids like me.”(28) Fortunately, Melody found Medi-Talker a computer device that allowed Melody to say what was on her mind by typing. Her class was astonished when Melody started to use the Medi-Talker, they couldn't believe that she had things to say that is when the book hits the climax. When it was time to select the Whiz-Kids team (a group of talented children that compete) Melody audition and made the team with flying colors. With Melody on the team the Whiz-Kids were able to win every competition leading up to the national level in Washington DC. Sadly, Melody was left out of the plan to go to DC when her classmates and teacher “forgot” to tell her about the earlier flight(falling action) “I tried to pretend like I didn’t care. I blinked really hard and faced the wall…That made the tears fall for real”(267) As Melody and her Mom were heading to school one morning her Mom was backing up the car and failed to see her daughter Penny following. Melody tried to tell her Mom that Penny was behind that car but her Mom couldn’t understand
her. As a result, Penny was hit by the car and rushed to the hospital. There was nothing Melody could have done to prevent the accident from happening. The conclusion of the book started where it began “By the time I was two all my memories had words, and all my words had meanings. But only in my head. I have never spoken one single word. I am almost eleven years old” (295). The main character of the book is Melody, and the book is told in Melody’s perspective. Melody can not speak or even lift a fork, so she can’t communicate her bright thoughts. Melody is a very clever child, but she is trapped in her handicapped body and is desperate to get out and speak what is on her mind “It’s like I live in a cage with no door or no key. And I have no way to tell someone how to get me out”(38). Other than the main character Melody, the book also includes her classmates, family members, teachers, and neighbors but the people in her life that have the most significance are Ms.V (her neighbor) her mother, and her little sister Penny. The book is told in Melody’s perspective so each character is describe based on her opinions. Melody’s mother loves Melody a lot and that is expressed throughout the book. Her mother is describes as very caring, loving and kind “‘Oh, Melody, if only I could make your hurt go away. Mom says plaintively’” (265)Her younger sister Penny doesn't have much of an impact until the end of the book. Ms.V is Melody’s neighbor and has always supported ad believed the Melody was smarter than what she lead on. Because of Ms.V Melody felt encouraged to learn and grow “‘All kids are special Ms. V replied with authority. “ But this one has hidden superpowers. I’d love to help her find them”’(41) Personally, I think that Out of my Mind is a very unique book and I have never read anything like it. Draper had a very original idea when writing this book and as a result it turned out to be pretty good. I thought that the plot could have been more exciting and that the story could be a little more interesting. But, Draper did a great job making the dialog and thoughts realistic and retaliate to a 5th grade child “I hate the stupid snowman”(37). The book addresses many universal themes such as, bullying, equality, and how society treat people who are handicapped “It’s no wonder everyone thinks I’m retarded.”(38). This is definitely a book for younger people so, and I believe that that is what draper intended when she was writing it. Based on Draper’s past book I can infer that she is a children's/young adult writer and that shows in her writing style. In conclusion, I though that Out of my Mind was a decent book. I would not recommend it to anyone my age but, I would consider it for younger kids. It’s an easy read, and a very compelling story. Overall, I didn’t mind reading this book and if you looking for a quick and easy read, this is the book for you.