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.
My daughter’s librarian gave her this book as an end-of-the-year gift. It quickly became her favorite book, and she urged me to read it. I’m glad I did. It taught inclusiveness and embracing those different than you.
Melody was born with cerebral palsy and couldn’t walk, talk, or write; however, she found ways to communicate (talking board).
Melody was brilliant, but not everyone believed in her intelligence. Adults and classmates saw her disability and judged her as mentally delayed. Melody proved them wrong time and again. Loved that!
She also had a photogenic memory which is astonishing.
I recommend others share this book with your kids. It’s brilliant, like Melody.
Grade level: 5 – 9
