Out of My Dreams by Sharon Draper

Melody Brooks, a 13-year-old with cerebral palsy, concludes her trilogy by stepping onto a global stage in Out of My Dreams.

Out of My Dreams by Sharon Draper. Atheneum (Simon & Schuster), 2024, 298 pages.

Reading Level: Middle Grades, ages 10-12

Recommended for: ages 8-12

“My name is Melody and I cannot talk. But I have a lot to say.” If you’ve already encountered Melody Brooks through Out of My Mind and Out of My Heart, you know that’s true. Melody’s cerebral palsy was a mystery even to her loving parents until a machine called a Medi-Talker (nicknamed Elvira) revealed that she had words, thoughts, and a quick, voracious mind. Armed with Elvira, Melody plunged into a regular fifth-grade classroom, where she had much to overcome (including back-stabbing classmates). The following year, as a 12-year-old, she faced the challenges of summer camp, with outdoor activities (zip-lining, horseback riding) even a “normal” kid would find daunting.

Out of My Mind was published in 2010; the sequel came eleven years later and with Out of My Dreams Melody finds a way to make her voice heard on the other side of the world. It all began on a rainy morning in Cincinnati, with Melody gazing out her bedroom window waiting for her mom to come and take her to the bathroom. The elderly neighbor, Miss Gertie had just taken her mail out of the mailbox and was walking back toward her house when she stumbled and fell on the sidewalk. And didn’t get up. Nearly panicking, Melody uses her medi-talker to dial 911 but it takes a while to get her words together, during which the operator hangs up on her twice. But she finally gets the message across and the ambulance arrives in a timely manner, quite possibly saving Miss Gertie’s life. The 911 operator is lavish in his praise.

It turns out that Melody’s semi-reclusive neighbor is rather famous—a celebrated British stage actress of an earlier generation who retired from the world after her husband’s death. Melody’s intervention, and her own close call, gives Miss Gertie a renewed taste for life. The girl is awestruck to be living next door to fame, but soon even Melody is famous. Somehow a recording of the 911 call makes it to ZibberZabber (a fictional Twitter) and is trending in the top ten. A TV station calls! And after the TV appearance comes an invitation to speak at the annual Innovation, Discovery, Education, and Application (IDEA) conference! In London! Will she turn that down? No way!

Like Out of My Heart, this installment in Melody’s story lacks a central conflict and misses the poignancy and emotional impact of the first book. The girl goes from strength to strength and yowsa to wowsa as new friends and new opportunities are strewn along her path like rose petals. Everyone is nice to her, from the quaint London cabbie to the rock star she happens to meet on an elevator to no less a personage than Prince William. With so much upping of the ante the WOW factor gets a bit tiresome, making this volume the weakest of the three. But Melody does have things to say, and her enthusiasm matches her powerful voice–both of which far outshine her limits. Readers who have traveled thus far with her will cheer her success.

Bottom Line: A cheerful, if over-the-top, conclusion to a ground-breaking series.

Also at Redeemed Reader:

• Reviews: The Schneider Family Award is given by the ALA to children’s books that reflect the disability experience. Here’s our roundup of 2022 winning titles.
• Reviews: Here’s what disability is like for two real-life kids: Daniel Stefanki explains the world from an autistic point of view (How to Talk to an Autistic Kid) and Shane Burcaw shows how he’s Not So Different, despite his Spinal Muscular Atrophy.

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