Out of My Mind

Draper, S. (2010) Out of my mind. Atheneum Books for Young Readers. 304 pages. ISBN 9781416971702

Primary genre: realistic fiction

Other elements: friendship, family

Intended reader age: 10 and up

Synopsis:

Imagine not being able to perform the simplest of everyday actions including having the ability to talk. Eleven-year-old Melody is the smartest kid at her school but no one even considers this because of her physical limitations. These limitations define her in the eyes of her classmates and teachers; they feel that her physical limits extend to mental capacities as well. The introduction of inclusion classes at school and the assignment of a dedicated aide finally give Melody a chance to show what she is capable, and she doesn’t want to go back.

Review:

This is definitely one of those books that will make you stop and think. The entire story is told through Melody’s perspective, so readers definitely connect with her and the frustrations she encounters. I felt that Draper did an amazing job of expressing the frustration that comes with not being able to communicate. And I could see how that frustration would build up in Melody until she just lost control and had one of her ‘tornados.’

Is it strange to really like a book for not giving the characters and readers that happy ending we always want? I think this comes from me always being told that life is not fair. This book did not end on a huge unhappy note, but there was definitely a great deal left unsaid. Yes, Melody was able to come into herself; she gained the ability to communicate and show the world who she really is. But, she is still at a school where inclusion has just started and she has just started earning ‘real’ grades. Where does she go from here? Will she still attend the same school next year? There was also the unresolved issue between Melody and her mother.

I think that biggest issue I had with this book was with the ‘villains.’ How there seemed to be an extended effort to place characters in Melody’s life who would get her to practically shout, “I’ll show you!” I was okay with the kids who went out of their way to be obnoxious and rude. Not okay as in I agree with the actions, but okay as in, that was believable. It was the professionals and how they treated Melody. First there was Dr. Hugely, the doctor in charge of evaluating Melody’s intelligence when she was five. The story tells of the doctor automatically treating Melody like he knows she will not be able to pass the evaluations, and giving her activates (like stacking blocks) that she is incapable of doing. These actions were written to make it very easy to side with Melody thinking of him as an idiot and her mother yelling at him, especially after he referred to her daughter as a “burden” (p. 25). I would think after that interaction Melody’s mother would demand another doctor to test her daughter, but this did not happen. Then there was the History teacher in charge of the competition Melody becomes involved in. I think I actually gasped out loud when the teacher said, “We’ll look at it this way. If Melody Brooks can win the first round, then my questions must not be difficult enough!” (p. 155). In this day and age, with the training that goes into become a teacher, there’s no way. Again, just trying to make it very easy to hate those ‘villains.’

There was a book I read when I was in middle school (and for the life of me I cannot recall the title or author) but it was from the perspective of a boy with Down Syndrome. It followed a similar tactic to Draper’s novel; giving readers the chance to imagine what this alternative life would be like.