Out of My Mind (Draper novel) facts for kids
Book Cover for Out of My Mind
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| Author | Sharon M. Draper |
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| Cover artist | Debra Sfetsios-Conover |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Realistic fiction |
| Set in | United States |
| Publisher | Atheneum Books For Young Readers, Simon & Schuster |
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Publication date
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9 March 2010 |
| Media type | Print (Hardcover, Paperback), eBook, audiobook |
| Pages | 295 |
| ISBN | 978-1-4169-7170-2 |
Out of My Mind is a popular novel written by Sharon M. Draper. She is a bestselling author. The book was first published on March 9, 2010. It is recommended for young readers aged 10 and up. The story is told from the point of view of Melody Brooks. She is a girl who has cerebral palsy.
Contents
Plot Summary
The story of Out of My Mind follows Melody Brooks. She is an eleven-year-old girl. Melody was born with cerebral palsy. This condition makes it hard for her to move or speak. She is very smart, but she cannot show it easily. This often makes her feel frustrated.
Melody's Early Life
Melody's parents try their best to help her. When she was five, a doctor said she was "profoundly retarded." He suggested she live in a nursing home. But Melody's mother knew her daughter was smart. She decided to enroll Melody in school instead.
At Spaulding Street Elementary, Melody was put in a class for special needs students. They learned very basic things every day. Melody felt trapped because she knew so much more. She could not tell anyone what she knew.
Her neighbor, Mrs. V., was a big help. Mrs. V. was kind but also very strict. She pushed Melody to learn how to do things for herself. For example, she taught Melody to crawl and roll. She also taught Melody how to catch herself if she fell from her wheelchair. These lessons helped Melody become more independent. Still, she needed help with many daily tasks.
A New Chapter
When Melody was eight, her mother became pregnant. Melody heard her parents worry about the new baby. They feared the baby might also have disabilities. This made Melody feel sad and ashamed. But she was very happy when her sister, Penny, was born healthy.
As Penny grew, Melody sometimes felt jealous. Penny could do many things Melody could not. But Melody loved her little sister very much. Penny brought a lot of joy to their family.
The Quiz Team Adventure
In fifth grade, Melody still struggled to communicate. Then, she got a special device called a Medi-Talker. This machine allowed her to choose words and speak them aloud. It changed everything for her.
At school, a new teacher started an "inclusion program." This meant students with special needs could join regular classes. Melody also got an aide named Catherine. Catherine helped Melody in class. Melody made a friend named Rose Spencer. But some girls, Molly and Claire, were mean to her. They thought Melody was not smart because of her disability.
Their teacher, Mr. Dimming, also doubted Melody at first. But Melody surprised everyone. She took a practice test for a trivia competition. She got a perfect score! Then she tried out for the real team. Again, she amazed everyone and made the team.
Melody helped her team win the qualifying competition. This meant they earned a trip to Washington D.C. for the national competition. But on the day they were supposed to fly, Melody's flight was canceled due to bad weather. The rest of the team flew out earlier without her.
The next day, Melody insisted on going to school. Her mother was tired and sick. Melody tried to warn her mother that Penny had slipped out of the house. Penny was in the path of the car. Melody kicked and screamed, but her mother did not understand. Penny was hurt, but thankfully, she recovered.
On Monday, Melody's classmates felt bad. They gave her the ninth-place trophy from the competition. They wanted to make up for leaving her behind. Melody forgave them and even laughed. She accidentally broke the trophy and left the room. The next day, Melody and Catherine started working on Melody's autobiography.
Book Cover Meaning
The cover of Out of My Mind shows a goldfish jumping out of its bowl. This image is very important to the story. The goldfish represents Melody. The bowl represents her mind.
The cover shows how Melody feels. She feels like she is stuck inside her own head. She wants to be free to share her thoughts and feelings. There is also a scene in the book where Melody's pet goldfish jumps out of its bowl. This shows her desire for freedom.
Awards and Achievements
Out of My Mind has won many awards and been recognized for its powerful story:
- It was a New York Times Bestselling Novel for nine weeks.
- It stayed on the New York Times Best Seller List for over 18 months.
- Winner of the 2011 Bank Street College of Education Josette Frank Award.
- Named a Kirkus Reviews Best Children's Book of 2010.
- A San Francisco Chronicle Best Book of The Year.
- Included on The Virginia Readers' Choice Reading List for 2011-2012.
- A Parents' Choice Silver Honor Book.
- Essence Magazine Book of the Year.
- A 2011 Notable Children's Book in the English Language Arts.
- Top 10 Book of the Year for Shelf Awareness.
- Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC) Choice of 2011.
- 2011 IRA Teachers' Choice Book.
- 2011 IRA Young Adult's Choice.
- 2013 Young Hoosier Book Award (Middle Grade).
- Buckeye Children's Book Award from Ohio.
- Sunshine State Young Reader's Award in both the middle school and elementary categories.
- Black-eyed Susan Book Award.
- Beehive Book Award.
- Featured in the July 9 issue of Time Magazine.
- Featured in the July issue of Ladies' Home Journal.
- On the Indie National Bestseller List.
- Receiver of the SAKURA Award.
- A NCTE Notable Children's Book in the Language Arts.
