Out of My Mind

I had never heard of this book before until I read a chapter to the kids I was subbing for. I immediately wanted to go back to the beginning and read the whole thing.

Melody never gives up and always keeps on trying no matter how hard her life is. The book made me laugh; it made me cry. My heart was breaking for her at the ending but she was a much better person inside than 100% healthy people are.

I gave it 5 stars and it really deserves that rating. My only critique is we were not given a final scene between Melody and her mother and I think that gives the book a big disservice considering the last time we see them together.

Even if this isn't your normal type of book, even if you are an adult and don't usually read middle grade books, read this one!

This book had all my fellow school librarians talking a few years back when it was one of the Bluebonnet nominees. I ran across a copy a couple of months ago and was motivated by the appearance of the Medicine Chest Bookbox to finally read it.

Melody can't walk. She can't talk. She can't feed herself or go to the bathroom by herself. But she has a photographic memory and remembers everything she's ever seen. If only she could share with others....

And then she learns about a new computer that can speak for her. It changes her life.

What a great story. It reminds me a lot of another recent children's story that I loved, Wonder. A story that can build empathy, I think.

Kids and teachers KEPT telling me that they loved this book and I HAD to read it, and I've been kind of hesitant for awhile because the description sounded a little bit “inspirational disability tragedy porn” to me, but I finally checked it out and it is more than that.

I also wonder how well the technology here will hold up–it's such a big moment when Melody finally gets her Medi-Speak board, and all the kids are very impressed with it, but now text-to-speech is so common (I know there are still specialized products for disabled people but the general concept probably would not be so mind-blowing now as it is to Melody's classmates). BUT that's a pretty minor point. I like that the friendship making doesn't seem as cut-and-dried as, cough, Wonder. It does end on kind of a shitty note for Melody...which is maybe more realistic, but also kind of rough? But, you know, 6th grade is another year.

ALSO extra points to this for being a book about quiz bowl, which is obviously the best of all extracurricular activities ;)