Out of My Heart
By Sharon Draper
We met Melody in Draper’s first book, Out of My Mind. She is now 12 (a year older) and much more confident in expressing herself now that she has her medi-talker. You see Melody has cerebral palsy and she has been non-verbal most of her life and confined to a wheelchair as she has no real control over her legs or her arms,. Everyone presumed she was “mentally challenged” in the first book until she got her medi-talker and then we find she is very smart and has a photographic memory.
Melody’s confidence now supports her need for independence. She looked online for camps for kids with disabilities and she wants to go even though she depends on others to meet all her needs–dressing, eating, toileting, and safety. Her parents don’t think she is ready to go all by herself–but Melody is insistent so, off to summer camp she goes. Camp is very exciting and scary at the same time but travel along as Melody tries zip-lining, swimming and horseback riding–with only one real mishap.
Heartwarming story for those who enjoyed the first book.
Reading in the Middle 