Out of My Mind

Powerful, Heartwarming, Hopeful, Inspirational, Engaging 

Out of My Mind by Sharon Draper 

Published by Atheneum Books for Young Readers an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing Division, Copyright 2010

Eleven-year-old Melody has never spoken a word in her life – she can’t walk, talk, or even feed herself.  She is diagnosed with cerebral palsy. However, her condition doesn’t stop her from being the smartest kid in her school, but nobody knows it. She’s stuck in room H-5 at school sitting through preschool level alphabet lessons. It isn’t until one day when she discovers a machine that will finally let her have a voice.

Grade level: 4-5

Lexile Measure: 700L

Description: Realistic fiction 

Suggested delivery: Group read 

Electronic Resources:

Book Trailer

Students can watch this book trailer before they begin reading to spark interest in the book. It will also give them a little preview of what the book will be about. 

Author's Website

This a good website for both students and teachers to use. It includes a list of all of Sharon Draper’s books, a biography, an interview, and reading guides for some of her books, including “Out of my Mind.” It offers several discussion questions and activities to go along with her books. 

Teaching Strategies

Key vocabulary:

·         Limitation – something that controls what a person is able to do

·         Burden – something or someone that is very difficult to accept or deal with

·         Uproar – a situation in which many people are upset, angry, or disturbed by something

·         Inclusion – to make someone a part of something, to include everyone

·         Indignation – anger caused by something that is unfair or wrong

·         Anticipation – a feeling of excitement about something that is going to happen 

Before reading: Model a think-aloud to students while reading a summary of the book to them. This will show students how to make predictions and how to engage with the text while reading.

During reading: After reading the first chapter, have students make predictions about the narrator of the story, Melody, using techniques that were modeled in the think-aloud. 

After reading: Have students fill out an opinionnaire expressing their opinions/views on the different characters in the story and how Melody was treated. 

Writing activity: Have students write a journal entry written from Melody’s perspective describing a typical day in her life. 

 Draper, S. M. (2010). Out of My Mind. New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers.