Isobel Morrison

Isobel Morrison
Out of my Mind
Sharon Draper
Realistic Fiction
Just Right
Just Finished

1)  The ending of this book really surprised me a lot.  Melody has a photographic memory and she is the smartest girl in the whole entire school.  There's a little problem to that because no one knows that.  Most people,  her teachers and doctors included,  don't think she's capable of learning, and up until recently her school days consisted of listening to the same preschool-level alphabet lessons again and again and again. If only she could speak up, if only she could tell people what she thinks and knows . . . but she can't, because Melody can't talk. She can't walk. She can't write.  Melody was born with a physical disability called cerebral palsy and being stuck inside her all day is driving her crazy out of her mind.  She soon discovers something that will help her speak for the first time but not everyone at her school is ready to hear it.  Her school hosts this big knowledge competition each year that everyone gets really excited for and its Melodies dream to compete.  She practices and practices but its really hard to try with a lot of negative feedback from her classmates and peers.  But not expectantly she came out with a win and won the whole competition. 

2)  I really enjoyed this book a lot.  I enjoyed it because the story line you thought was predictable but it turned out that it wasn't at all.  What I mean by this is that one minute you would think that you would know exactly but as you kept reading you realized you were completely wrong and it would be a totally different problem.  I like how all of the characters in some way have the same personality.  Melody is really sweet and will do anything to just have a friend that will respect her for who she is and not what she looks like.  Rosie is the only person who actually talks to Melody and she really appreciates that.  Rosie is really sweet just like Melody.  One of the main reason why this book intrigues me is because I love sad books that dig into the reality of life and this is pretty much what this book is based upon.  This is a new author that I have never read before I would like to read more books by this author.

3)  There are many themes in this book but the one I notice the most is accepting.  I notice the theme mostly in the characters actions and the conflicts that happen in this book.  Melody has to learn how to except herself throughout the whole book.  She has to learn to except her physical restrictions the most.  Being immobile and not able to talk is really hard to cope with during the duration of life's challenges.  People at school have to learn how to accept Melody or not accept her kindly.  I have noticed that this book has also been about the many daily challenges and also in reality.  People to accept other people that may have different disabilities.

4)  My favorite character is Melody.  She is my favorite character because the fact the she believes in herself and has just as much confidence as anyone other regular person.  I think the that problems that she encounters throughout the story definitely made her a stronger person.  She is one of the sweetest characters in the whole entire book.  She looks at every thing in a positive way like a pessimist.  

5)  My least favorite character is Rosie.   Although Rosie is really sweet there is a part in the book where she has to decide between hanging and being with melody or keeping her reputation and hang with all the popular kids.  I think that just because Melody has a disability is why the kids at her school don't give her a chance to be a normal kid.

6)  At the end of the book I though that Melody wasn't going to win her competition at all.  But, through all her practicing she did win and that made her so happy.  Then Rosie finally realized that who cares what other people think of Melody, she is an awesome friend that she should have never given up.  I think something that foreshadowed it a little was how hard Melody was practicing to help her and how mcuh devotion she put into it.