Jessica Maiorano Q1BM Book Review

Sharon M.Draper is a bestselling author that received an award for two of her books, Cooper Sun and Forged by Fire. Sharon is also known for winning many awards on her book, “Out of my mind.” Sharon wrote Out of my Mind because she always wanted to know what goes on in a persons mind when they can not express their thoughts. Also, because Sharon has a daughter that is disabled and decided to write a story about a funny, smart and wonderful person that has a future and goals just like everyone else. As Sharon M. Draper says “Get ready to meet a girl whose voice you will never, ever forget.”

Have you ever wanted to tell someone something, but you did not know how to say it or you could not say it at all? Did someone ever say that you were not smart? Melody, a character from the book Out of my Mind, goes through this everyday. Melody is an amazing child who is intelligent but no one knows. Melody remembers everything she sees or hears and she wishes there was a way to stop it. Melody can not walk or talk. She can not do anything herself and faces many challenges on a daily basis.

Melody never catches a break, there is a new challenge everyday that she needs to figure out. Melody is in 5th grade and is eleven years old. She attends school normally, but goes into a classroom that has other students with similar problems. Since no one knows melody is brilliant she does not learn anything past 3rd grade. After a couple months in fifth grade, Melody is put into a classroom with able bodied students and some of them do not accept Melody. Later she is faced with obstacle that seems impossible to face. Melody felt like all her hard work and progress in the classroom was not useful anymore. Melody always has someone by her side helping her and she appreciates everyone who does. Mrs.V  for example has been with her since day one, and will never give up on her. Mrs.V is Melodys next door neighbor. She believes in Melody and will do anything to help her succeed. Everyone needs someone to look up too and sometimes it’s someone other than a child’s parents. If you have someone by your side every step of the way, you feel more confident  and you know there is someone that will help you if something is not going the way you planned. Melody also has a new born sister Penny, who is very different from her. Melody wishes she can be a normal big sister but penny can always look up to melody in ways that are exteremly different from her parents because melody has been through so much then someone can even imagine and still as a huge smile on her face.

This book will teach the reader a lot. One essential lesson that is expressed in the book, is to never give up on something you want because anything is possible. Every page of this book is so detailed and it makes you really feel like you are with the characters in the book. If you are interested in fiction books this is the perfect book for you. It is not based off of a real events but while reading this it feels real and makes you want to meet Melody. Everyone may not look the same or not everyone is able to things “normal” people can do but it doesn't matter everyone is unique in their own amazing way. “Out of my mind” is an unbelievable book that everyone should read.