Out of My Heart by Sharon M Draper
Product Details
Web ID: 16528904Excellent sequel
Our heroine Melody from Out of My Mind has completed another less than perfect school year. Listening to her peers talk about summer camp makes her wonder: Could there be a camp for kids like me where I won’t feel so different? Melody takes matters into her own hands and does the research. Her camp experience has everything and more. Seeing her confidence build and her friendships grow was a total pleasure. This will be a great book to continue the process of building empathy and compassion for differently baled people. I’ll have to get multiple copies for my middle school library. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read this arc in exchange for an honest review.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
A different kind of superhero
Bravery, determination and spirit are the words I think of when I think of Melody, our irrepressible heroine of the “Out of my Mind” and “Out of my Heart” series. I certainly do not think of the word disabled, as she is certainly able to do, and capable of doing most everything her peers can do, with a little help and a few aids. As a fan of Sharon M. Draper, and a teacher of many other fans, I highly recommend this follow-up to Melody’s fictional, but oh-so-real story. Fans of all ages will be thrilled.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Kids will love this sequel
Thanks to Netgalley for the arc! I loved meeting Melody in Out of My Mind and was excited to see that a sequel is coming out since I was furious for her at the end. Those who loved the first book will enjoy following Melody on her journey to Camp Green Glades - from her finding it with the help of her librarian to overcoming the obstacles to getting there. I was fascinated to read about how detailed the camp plans were for each student; we would all do well to learn about ways to make sure people of all abilities are included in spaces that we take for granted. The main drawback for me was that I didn’t get hooked into the plot and some of it felt a bit forced.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Fantastic follow-up to the original!
Biggest thanks to Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing, Atheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy Books, and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book. I loved Out of My Mind by Sharon M. Draper and practically screamed when I saw this sequel on NetGalley. Friends, I am thrilled to say that this sequel is a beautiful follow-up to the original. Melody captured my heart in both books. She reminds me so much of my cousin who also has cerebral palsy and is non-verbal just like Melody. In this story, Melody wants to go to summer camp like so many other kids her age. Imagine her luck when she finds a camp for kids with differing abilities that's only 2 hours from home! When she gets accepted to the camp, she's both excited and nervous. Can she really go swimming, ziplining, and ride on a horse?! Pick it up and find out! I promise you will want to hug this book!
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Summer camp for Melody? Absolutely!
Melody Brooks from <i>Out of My Mind</i> is back! Despite her cerebral palsy, her wheelchair, and her physical difficulties, Melody knows there's nothing wrong with her brain or her spirit. She hears the other kids at school talking about summer camp and she's determined to go to camp, too. So, Melody searches the internet and finds a camp for children with special needs like hers. After a little convincing, Mom and Dad are in on the plan and off we go. There's not a lot of adventure or suspense in this story, but there's a lot of courage and a lot of heart. Anyone who enjoyed Draper's first novel about Melody will be thrilled to see what she's up to now. Horseback riding, painting, swimming, and even dancing are on the agenda! This series is an amazing and crucial look into the mind of a child with cerebral palsy, indeed the mind of any child whose physical difficulties keep them from expressing themselves verbally. I absolutely love the honesty and respect with which Draper treats all her differently-abled characters and highly recommend both this book and the first one in the series to anyone who enjoys an underdog, a middle grade coming-of-age, or a heart-warming story. You'll love Melody Brooks! Disclaimer: I received a free electronic copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Great sequel
This book deserves more than five stars! What an awesome return Melody has in this sequel. After filling out so much paperwork and answering many questions, Melody is going to summer camp for a week. She finds it feels good to hang out with kids who are like her. After realizing she has the opportunities to zip line, go on a pontoon boat ride, horseback ride, swim in a pool,, make music, and make messy art, she thinks the “ folks who invented this place had to be geniuses” and I agree. What a great place with counselors for every child there 24/7. As Melody approaches many of the fun and possibly challenging things to do, she wonders can I do it? There’s even a dance and everyone has so much fun. You can feel the pride and happiness she experiences when she tackles everything with such positivity. Loved this book so much!
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Great Follow-Up to Out of My Mind
Out of My Heart picks up Melody's story about a year after where Out of My Mind left off. Melody has made huge strides in being able to communicate, but she still feels isolated by the physical limitations of her cerebral palsy and has missed out on a lot of experiences that other kids her age take for granted. So, Melody goes to summer camp where she gets to swim, ride a horse, go zip lining, take a boat trip, make art, and sleep in a cabin with other girls. All of her new experiences at camp and initial nervousness about trying them will be really relatable for many kids. I thought it was really interesting to learn about the ways the activities were modified to make them safe and enjoyable for Melody and her fellow campers, and I loved the counselor character and how she gave Melody and her new friends the freedom to safely test their independence. My only complaints are that the plot wasn't super thrilling and that Melody's internal dialogue felt a little forced and overly cheesy sometimes -- it felt very much like an adult writing what they *think* kids sound like but missing the mark a bit. I think this book will be super popular at my school -- tons of kids love Out of My Mind and will be so excited to see what Melody does next. * thanks to Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing / Atheneum / Caitlin Dlouhy Books for the eARC!
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
A Must Read!!!
Melody is back and gets into a summer camp that is for kids with differences. She does things she never imagined and makes some good friends. She discover how brave and strong she really is! This is a wonderful book. It is just as wonderful as the first one-Out of My Mind. I could not put this one down and finished it in a day. I was crying by the end of the book and was sad it was over. I love books by Sharon Draper, but this one is one of her best! I highly recommend this book!
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com