Out of My Mind

Imagine being trapped inside your body which doesn't let you speak, walk, or control your movements in any meaningful way. Now continue to imagine that there is nothing wrong with your brain even though the physical part of your body doesn't function the way most people's bodies work. Now imagine that your brain actually has a photographic memory and that you are really, really smart, but to the rest of the world, you are perceived as a "retard".
In Sharon Draper's latest novel entitled Out of My Mind, that is the exact position that eleven-year-old Melody finds herself.
I really liked this book as I could begin to imagine the extreme frustration that Melody experiences. All of the normal adolescent issues of trying to fit in, trying to befriend someone you can trust, trying to communicate are so heightened. Even with the advancement of technology which allows severely disabled students to have a "computer voice", life is just so difficult. The cover image is a great one for this novel. Melody can't call her mom when her goldfish launches itself outside its bowl. The metaphor of a fish out of water fits Melody's whole existence.