Out of My Mind

Draper, S. (2010). Out of My Mind. New York, NY: Atheneum Books For Young Readers, Simon & Schuster.

(chapter book, at grade level, peer supported)

The chapter book Out of My Mind tells the story of a young girl named Melody who has nonverbal cerebral palsy. The Guided Reading level is S and Lexile level is 700L. Author Sharon Draper wrote this book based on her experiences with her own daughter who had cerebral palsy and was nonverbal. Melody is brilliant, with a sharp mind, but she often feels frustrated because she cannot communicate all her thoughts with others. This book accurately portrays the Melody’s physical reactions, and readers are allowed to see her intelligence that is hidden away from others because of her physical disability.

This book is a good addition to the text set because it gives readers an inside look into the lives and minds of disabled people, showing them as real people, too, who have feelings and may be more brilliant than you may initially think. The author is encouraging readers to question their assumptions and stereotypes of people with disabilities and to embrace them with kindness, tolerance, and acceptance.