Out of My Mind

Out of My Mind is a realistic fiction novel by Sharon Draper that focuses on a girl named Melody who has cerebral palsy.  The novel is a New York Times bestseller and has also won many other awards. Sharon Draper is the 1997 National Teacher of the Year and has used that experience here in the hopes of helping others better understand children with unique needs. There is a sequel to the novel, Out of My Heart, which continues the story of Melody in the following year.  The novel is about 300 pages, but is also available in audio form. There are rumors a film is being made of the novel and could be released at the end of 2023 on Disney+. 

Melody is an incredibly smart girl who can memorize almost anything she sees and hears.  She cares deeply for others and notices the smallest of details in the world around her.  She loves music and loves to laugh.  But there are many things Melody cannot do because she has cerebral palsy: walk, feed herself, write, brush her teeth, and - most importantly - talk.  Melody has so many thoughts swirling in her head she longs to share with the people around her, but she is trapped in her own head.  Every day she fights a battle to communicate with the people that care for her most - her mom, her dad, and the next door neighbor, Ms. V. These people believe in her most and come the closest for seeing Melody for who she truly is, while having to prove herself to doctors and even teachers that she is so much more inside the body she is trapped in.  She longs to be free of the limitations her body sets for her and just be "normal." Then one day Melody's world flips upside down. She and her school aid, Catherine, discover the Medi-Talker, a communication machine that will allow Melody to share her thoughts with others.  Suddenly Melody's world is open to new possibilities unlike she has ever had before. With her school beginning inclusion classes, Melody is even able to go into the classroom at her school for class with other kids who do not have the struggles Melody does. But this new-found freedom brings its own challenges. Making friends and fitting in are hard enough without having the struggles Melody has, but with the support of her parents, Ms. V, and Catherine, she is determined to be as "normal" as possible. 

Out of My Mind is a MUST read for all, no matter the age or gender or where you live.  This is one of those novels that just makes you a better person for reading it.  Girls may gravitate to this novel a bit more; the narrator is female and she has a strong desire to "fit in" with her able-bodied classmates. However, this is a read that is valuable for all.  It doesn't have the action packed into other novels, but the events do move quickly. It is great for kids of all ages and completely appropriate for all, but probably the best suited for students in grades 5-7. Through the novel Melody shares her heart with the reader and speaks openly about her own struggles with her limitations, including how they make her feel.  The reader is able to learn how to be a better friend to those that have special needs and how we can help those with unique needs feel more included and empowered to be a part of life to the fullest.  This novel made me smile, cheer, cry, gasp, and everything in between.  

Once

Once is a historical fiction novel by Morris Gleitzman based on the events that took place during the Holocaust back in the 1940s.  Readers do not need to have a deep understanding of the events that took place in this tragic event, as the main character, Felix, is learning about them as well.  The novel is the first in a trilogy of stories about Felix, with Then being the second book in the series and Now being the third.  The novel is about 163 pages, so it is a shorter read that moves quickly. Once is a great introductory novel for readers learning about the Holocaust for the first time. 

Felix has a gift: he is a beautiful storyteller.  He can tell stories that captivate an audience, help him make friends, and sometimes even get him out of trouble. However, the same wild imagination that can spin these wild stories can also cause Felix to struggle in finding the truth in the world around him.  Felix is in a Catholic orphanage in Poland, where his parents have left him in the safe keeping of nun while they tend to their Jewish bookstore. But it has been over two years since Felix has seen them and he is becoming impatient.  Felix has been keeping the secret that he is not really an orphan, but simply a boy dropped off by his parents to the trusting care of Mother Minka. Suddenly one morning strange men show up to the orphanage in uniforms and begin burning books, and lots of them.  Felix's parents own a bookstore and he feels this is the push he needs to secretly set out for them and warn them of the dangers.  Sneaking out one morning while all the others are at breakfast, Felix begins to slowly see how the countryside of Poland has changed in the years he has been gone. He has heard nothing about the war but Father Ludwik speak of how wonderful Hitler and his Nazis are.  So when Felix begins to encounter soldiers scouring the country, going house-to-house in search of Jewish people, his big imagination takes over to guess at what they are doing amid their descruction. Until one night he stumbles upon a house being burned and notices a family just outside the home.  The parents have been shot and left for dead, but the small 6 year old is barely alive.  He commits to helping her and together they set off in search of Felix's parents.  However, as they travel, Felix realizes the stories he has been making up in his head about these soliders is far from the truth.  Once is a heart-wrenching tale of little Felix, who sees the world through naive eyes, refusing to believe there can be such hate and evil in the world.  He wants to use his stories to bring happiness and eventually hope to others who are searching for loved ones and clinging to hope themselves because it is one of the few things they have left.  

Once is a great novel for students beginning to learn about the Holocaust.  This novel focuses mostly on the Nazi search to identify the Jews and their move into ghettos until transportation to the death camps. Because of the nature of the content of the Holocaust, this book is better suited for middle school students.  While there are more graphic novels about the Holocaust, Felix still sees atrocities many younger readers may not be ready for in elementary school, especially until they have learned about the Holocaust.  Some of these scenes may be emotionally upsetting for younger readers. Both boys and girls alike would enjoy this read and see Felix as kind and caring and naive and hopeful.  The novel is a beautiful story of sacrifice and friendship and hope that should be shared with all.   

The Wild Robot

The Wild Robot is a fiction novel by author and illustrator Peter Brown. The Wild Robot is the first in the series, with The Wild Robot Escapes as the second novel and The Wild Robot Protects as the third in the series, which is coming out in September of 2023.  The novel is about 270 pages, but is filled with beautiful illustrations throughout that make the book feel shorter than it really is. The chapters are short, so the reader moves through the novel faster than expected. The Wild Robot is a story of friendship and openess to new experiences and how to learn from others through those experiences.  

A hurricane sinks a cargo ship, but only a few boxes make it to the surface of the ocean and float toward a nearby island. Although these boxes survived the ship's sinking, only one box remains unharmed after crashing against the shore of the island.  From that crate emerges a robot, who comes to life after a curious otter accidentally flips the power switch, turning this mysterious creature on.  ROZZUM 7134, better known as "Roz" comes to life, surrounded by the only home she has ever known.  She knows no different than the island and knows little about herself and her capabilities, but she does know she is a fast learner and is good at observing the things around her and learning from her experiences.  As she learns more about the island and the various animals that inhabit it, she quickly finds out the creatures want nothing to do with her.  The animals view her as a "monster" and avoid her at all costs. It seems Roz is alone in the fight for survival until she realizes she needs to do what she does best: observe and collect data.  She camoflages herself to watch the island creatures and learn their language and their habits. In learning their life, she begins to understand them better and even help them in any way she can. One day there is a terrible accident and it forces Roz into a role she is not prepared for and doesn't have knowledge about. Even with this new role and new friends on the island, Roz cannot hide from her past. Someone knows she is missing and that she is on this island - and that person needs her back.  

The Wild Robot is a book my students have been begging me to read and it did not disappoint!  I think both boys and girls of all ages would enjoy this novel.  It is very appropriate for all ages, so this could be a great read for elementary school ages who can handle a longer chapter book, or a class read-aloud.  This is a beautiful story of friendship: how to make friends but also how to foster and develop a friendship with others that are not like ourselves.  It is a wonderful story of ignoring first impressions - not judging by the appearance on the outside, but to take the time to get to know the person (or robot) inside. The Wild Robot reminds the reader we all have unique strengths, and we depend on those strengths to support each other and better the place we live together. It is also a great story of companionship and how 2 very different beings can need each other in ways they never realized they would. This is a fabulous read for 4th - 6th graders with such strong, life-long themes that are great for all kids. The precious illustrations are just the icing on the cake to make this novel a MUST-read for all students!  However, I encourage you to make sure you have the sequel close by.  I was upset when I realized I was at the end of the story and would not find out what happened to Roz, so I will be heading to the library tomorrow to grab the sequel!    

Matilda

Matilda is a fictional novel by well-known author Roald Dahl, who has also written novels such as James and the Giant Peach, The BFG, and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.  The novel is about 240 pages, so it is an average length for a chapter book.  The chapters are sprinkled with illustrations, so the reader is able to get a good visual idea of who Matilda and Ms. Trunchbull and Miss Honey are as characters.  The story of Matilda is one of redemtion and hope - and revenge.  It is a childhood classic and little Matilda holds a unique power that all kids wish they had at some point in their lives.  

Matilda is a unique young lady.  Since she was very young, she has always been different than other children.  Matilda has taught herself how to read and do mathematics. She is often left alone by her parents and eventually she begins to visit the library, where she is opened up to the world through books.  Before beginning kindergarten, she is reading authors like Charles Dickens and Shakespeare.  She loves reading and learning about new people and places. However, her parents and older brother do NOT see value in reading.  They value two things most: money and the television.  Matilda doesn't fit in with her family and her parents definitely don't see how gifted Matilda is.  Her father owns a car dealership where he takes used cars and makes them like new again, but in many dishonest ways.  Her mother spends her days playing Bingo, hoping to strike it big one day.  They see Matilda's love for reading as strange and ridiculous and tease her constantly and cannot understand why she can't eat her dinner in front of the television every night with the rest of the family.  Matilda finally starts kindergarten, where she meets Miss Honey, a kind and sweet teacher who quickly sees how unique and talented Matilda really is.  But Matilda also meets Ms. Trunchbull, the principal of the school who hates children and rules by force and fear. Ms. Trunchbull immediately hates Matilda and many of her other classmates. But Matilda learns she is more unique than anyone realizes - she has a special power no one else has. It is an amazing, fatastic gift that Matilda figures out how to control and even develop. Matilda sets out to use her power to stop the mean, children-hating principal and teach her a lesson she deserves.  

Matilda is one of Roald Dahl's classics and is sure to be loved by both boys and girls, especially the ones that feel like they sometimes don't belong where they are.  Matlida feels like an outsider in her own family, but more accepted at school with her friends and teacher.  Matilda is certainly the underdog, the tiny, quiet, shy little girl that sits quietly on the side of the room and doesn't expect anything from anyone. I would recommend this book to anyone who can relate with feeling in those places at times. Matilda is a great read for 5th and 6th grade kids, as it does have some language that may not be appropriate for younger readers.  Roald Dahl is a British author, so there are some words that may be unfamiliar through cultural differences.  Our family read this novel aloud together at bedtime and I had to change a few words as I read to help my youngest understand, but also change some of the stronger language to make it more appropriate for my youngest and middle (my oldest was reading over my shoulder).  We did read the book aloud and then watched the movie together once we finished reading.  (Beware: the movie is different from the novel!)