Skip to Main Content

Listen To An Excerpt

0:00 /

About The Book

A New York Times bestseller for three years and counting!

“A gutsy, candid, and compelling story. It speaks volumes.” —School Library Journal (starred review)
“Unflinching and realistic.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

From award-winning author Sharon Draper comes a story that will forever change how we all look at anyone with a disability, perfect for fans of RJ Palacio’s Wonder.

Eleven-year-old Melody is not like most people. She can’t walk. She can’t talk. She can’t write. All because she has cerebral palsy. But she also has a photographic memory; she can remember every detail of everything she has ever experienced. She’s the smartest kid in her whole school, but NO ONE knows it. Most people—her teachers, her doctors, her classmates—dismiss her as mentally challenged because she can’t tell them otherwise. But Melody refuses to be defined by her disability. And she’s determined to let everyone know it…somehow.

About The Author

Photograph (c) Sharon Draper

Sharon M. Draper is a three-time New York Times bestselling author for Out of My MindBlended, and Out of My Heart. She’s also won Coretta Scott King Awards for Copper Sun and Forged by Fire and multiple honors. She’s also the recipient of the Margaret A. Edwards Award honoring her significant and lasting contribution to writing for teens. Sharon taught high school English for twenty-five years and was named National Teacher of the Year. She now lives in Florida. Visit her at SharonDraper.com.

About The Reader

Product Details

Awards and Honors

  • ILA Teachers' Choices
  • Maud Hart Lovelace Award Nominee (MN)
  • CCBC Choices (Cooperative Children's Book Council)
  • South Carolina Picture Book Award Nominee
  • ILA Young Adults' Choices
  • Bank Street Best Books of the Year
  • William Allen White Children's Book Award Reading List (KS)
  • Massachusetts Children's Book Award
  • Maud Hart Lovelace Award (MN)
  • Garden State Teen Book Award Nominee (NJ)
  • Maine Student Book Award Reading List
  • Colorado Children's Book Award Master List
  • Mark Twain Award (MO)
  • Californa Young Reader Medal
  • Great Stone Face Book Award Nominee (NH)
  • NAACP Image Award Nominee
  • NCTE Notable Children's Books in the Language Arts
  • Texas Lone Star Reading List
  • Rebecca Caudill Young Readers' Book Award Master List (IL)
  • Prairie Pasque Award Nominee (SD)
  • Nene Award Nominee (HI)
  • Buckeye Children's Book Award Nominee (OH)
  • Golden Sower Award Nominee (NE)
  • Kirkus Best Children's Book
  • Texas Bluebonnet Master List
  • Dorothy Canfield Fisher Book Award Master List (VT)
  • Georgia Children's Book Award Finalist
  • Volunteer State Book Award (TN)
  • Nevada Young Readers' Award
  • North Carolina Children's Book Award Nominee
  • Parents' Choice Award Silver Medal
  • Land of Enchantment RoadRunner Award (NM)
  • Young Hoosier Book Award (IN)
  • Nutmeg Book Award (CT)
  • Pennsylvania Young Reader's Choice Award
  • Black Eyed Susan Book Award (MD)
  • Sasquatch Book Award (WA)
  • Sunshine State Young Readers' Award Jr. (FL)
  • Flicker Tale Award (ND)
  • Great Lakes Book Award
  • Choose to Read Ohio Booklist Selection
  • Beehive Book Award (UT)
  • Virginia Readers’ Choice Award
  • Bluestem Book Award (IL)
  • Josette Frank Award (Bank Street)
  • Japan Sakura Award
  • Ohioana Book Award Finalist
  • Mitten Award Honor Book (MI)
  • Lamplighter Award (TX)
  • Alaska Battle of the Books Lis

Resources and Downloads

High Resolution Images

More books from this author: Sharon M. Draper

More books in this series: The Out of My Mind Series