Independent Reading Response to Out Of My Mind By Sharon M. Draper

                When I read Out Of My Mind by Sharon M. Draper, I was blown away. Draper’s story describes the challenging and misunderstood life of eleven year old Melody Brooks. Melody has cerebral palsy; she cannot walk, talk, or feed herself. Many misjudge her for having little knowledge based on the fact that she was born with this condition. Throughout the book, Melody describes how many of the people around her act as if she can barely understand or do anything, but really she’s very intelligent.

            From reading this book, Draper reminded me to respect and be considerate towards others, no matter their differences. Even though a lot of people in her life mistreat her, her family and friends still love her for who she is, disabilities and all. In the book, an important family friend of Melody stands up for her in front of a mean girl in Melody’s class, “Some people get braces on their teeth.  Some people get braces on their legs. For others, braces don’t work, so they need wheelchairs and walkers and such. You’re a lucky girl that you only had messed-up teeth. Remember that.” (Draper, p.120) This quote helps explain to the reader how much people care about Melody and reminds everyone to love people for who they are, not based on their looks.

            Although everyone in the world is different, we all have things in common. When comparing someone with disabilities to someone without, you would probably assume they’re not at all alike. People may not have the same abilities, many of us don’t think about whether they are more than they are on the outside. Melody represents all disabled people in the world, and explains to the reader how even though they’re all different, it’s not by that much besides physical appearances. Melody often refers to other kids as “regular”, “I like to watch the ‘regular’ kids as they play four-square while they wait for the bell to ring. They look like they’re having so much fun. They ask one another to play, but no one’s ever asked any of us. Not that we could anyway, but it would be nice if somebody would say ‘Hi.’” (Draper, p.28) In this quote, Melody describes how left out she and the other “disabled” kids feel watching everyone else have fun, and wish that they would at least express that they know and somewhat care that they exist.

            Out of all the chapters, there’s one that stood out to me the most. In this chapter, Melody describes a pet fish she had named Ollie. According to Melody, “Ollie had been a prize from a carnival Dad had taken me to, and I think Ollie’s life was worse than mine.” (Draper, p. 61) All he did all day was swim in circles around a small bowl with tiny pink rocks and a fake log. One day, Ollie just jumped out of his bowl, and committed suicide. When I read this, I wondered why Draper wrote this scene. After thinking about it more, I think she wanted Ollie to be a symbol representing Melody and her small life, where the same things happen every day and nothing changes. Ollie must have wanted to leave his small life and do something to make it change. Melody probably feels like Ollie; she’s trapped in her body with limited abilities and wants something new to happen in her small life.

            After reading Out Of My Mind, it made me think more about how misunderstood and left out those who are physically disabled must feel. Even I’ve got to admit, I don’t really talk to many of the disabled people around me. After hearing the effect of what this can do, my goal is give more attention to those, who many don’t talk to because of their physical appearance. I personally know how it is to be left out, and so do many others; this is one of the things we share, and no one deserves to feel this way. We can look at people with new eyes and be open to communicating and being friendly to all.