Out of My Mind Summary
<1 min read ⌚
Are we judging too quickly? – Well, we all know we have a habit of doing just that.
Although it’s not something we should be proud of, it’s good first step to at least become aware of your tendencies.
The summary is premised on the events we found insightful and useful to share.
Who Should Read “Out of My Mind”? And Why?
Kids are undiscovered treasure, something of a gem that can’t be expressed in words. A miracle of nature that is enriched with mysteries that are worth exploring.
Out of My Mind is an insightful and life-altering novel that may change your perception about everything. We believe it’s suitable for each and every one because it entails situations and topics that we all encounter on a daily basis.
Sharon M. Draper Biography
Sharon Mills Draper is hailed as one of America’s most celebrated children’s writer and educators born on August 21st, 1948.
As an award-winning author, she managed to get into the hearts of those in need of hope.
Plot
Out of My Mind is a fascinating and much-appreciated novel written by Sharon M. Draper. Melody Brooks absorbs the role of a leading character in the plot and narrative. A thirteen-year-old girl suffering from with cerebral palsy and bound to a wheelchair embarks on a new adventure.
She manages to maintain the sharpness of her mind, but Melody is not able to speak and express her thoughts verbally. Melody feels strong despise towards her special-school program and the idea of not being able to share her opinions with the rest of the world.
This turn of events prompts Melody to embrace “fighting” as a way of life in order to find her place in this “wretched” society. Through a computer, specially designed to accommodate the needs of people with cerebral palsy, she can speak and participate in extracurricular activities.
Despite her successes, she can’t seem to find understanding on the receiving end, because the audience seems reluctant to acknowledge her achievements. This is the bitter truth Melody has to face and deal with its effects. Nonetheless, she finds a spark from within, which tells her that she is no different from the rest!
Her physical disadvantages may only serve a purpose and make her even hungrier for triumph.
Let’s take it from the beginning: Any child being born with cerebral palsy has a hard time, especially in adolescent years to socialize and live a normal life. Most parents bend over backward to provide their beloved ones with an equal dose of optimism, but that’s easier said than done.
Not being able to express herself, is the biggest frustration Melody has to confront and overcome. Despite being diagnosed by the doctors as a retard, her mother refused to accept the fact that her daughter is not on the same wavelength and is not receiving equal treatment as others.
Mrs. V. is a generous but demanding woman living next door, who teaches Melody to rely on herself. In fact, she pushes her to reach new heights without asking for help. Mrs. V. even open her eyes to the possibility that she can roll over by herself, crawl, work – basically everything.
Mrs. V. also provides Melody with basic training on how to get up whenever she falls off the wheelchair. These techniques evoke a new sense of self-sufficiency that embodies competitive spirit and self-love. Nonetheless, she continues to lean on her parents for pretty much everything – such as feeding, going to the bathroom, etc.
Melody’s mother is conceived when she is eight. Despite all the enthusiasm about the new baby, they both fear that the newborn may experience the same fate as Melody. She overhears them talking and falls into despair. Fortunately, the baby is born healthy, both physically and mentally.
As Penny grows and develops into a self-motivated person, who can do all the things Melody can’t, she envies her but not too much. From top to bottom, Melody loves her little sister and is happy about the joy she is bringing to the lives of their parents.
About the time Melody begins her fifth-grade adventure, the school inspired by new teacher agrees to allow special-education children to participate in standard classes. A dose of skepticism is felt in the air, and that’s what Melody dislikes the most.
Assumptions are made, that Melody doesn’t have what it takes to participate in all activities. However, she proves them wrong by passing the exam with a perfect score and knocking everybody’s socks off.
Melody proves its worth and has received the go-ahead to enroll in the qualifying exam. The goal is to somehow become a member of the trivia competition by stunning everyone with her readiness and intelligence. She does that, and the team welcomes her to its ranks.
Melody is excited for helping the team finishing in front and winning a trip to Washington DC for the national championship. Prior to leaving, she discovers that her flight is canceled due to weather problems.
The rest of the crew is already in Washington because they’ve taken another flight.
Out of My Mind Epilogue
The next day, Melody is both angry and disheartened for not making it to Washington. Although she insists on going to school, her mother is not in the mood to take her. In the meantime, Melody kicks and screams to warn her mother that Penny, has disappeared.
By the time, they understand what Melody is saying – Penny finds herself in the middle of a car accident and is badly hurt. Melody feels awful for not conveying the message more lucidly. But no one blames her for the accident. Melody is relieved when she finds out that Penny is doing great and she’ll be fine.
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“Out of My Mind PDF Quotes”
Words have always swirled around me like snowflakes-each one delicate and different, each one melting untouched in my hands. Click To Tweet She talked to me like I was just like any other student, not a kid in a wheelchair. Click To Tweet Music is powerful, my young friends,” she said. “It can connect us to memories. It can influence our mood and our responses to problems we might face. Click To Tweet What your body looks like has nothing to do with how well your brain works! Click To Tweet It’s like I’ve always had a painted musical soundtrack playing background to my life. I can almost hear colors and smell images when music is played. Click To Tweet
Our Critical Review
You can’t expect anything less than pure excellence from Sharon. On numerous occasions, she has proven that her writings are “prepared” with the flair of a true master.
We find it highly compelling and most importantly eye-opening!
Emir is the Head of Marketing at 12min. In his spare time, he loves to meditate and play soccer.
