In Out of My Mind Draper introduced us to the character of Melody. That story was all about Melody proving herself in a "normal" classroom, helping her peers see her as a thinking, capable person. In this volume, Melody is no longer an outsider. We see her instead in a world where everyone is like her. Suddenly the story is not about her having to prove her normalcy, it's her in a world where she is normal. The plot become about her normal concerns: making friends, facing fears, having crushes. And it's not just Melody. We have a whole cast of characters who might otherwise be outsiders who, in this context, are able to be just normal kids. This volume reinforces the messaging from the first book and takes it a step further. While I don't know that it as completely necessary, it's a pleasant read.

I loved Draper's Out of My Mind, so I was excited to read the sequel to Melody's story. This book fell short for me, though. I found the camp story to be somewhat boring and predictable. I would still recommend it to my middle grade readers that liked Out of My Mind, but it's not an enthusiastic recommendation.

It was great to catch up with Melody and see her face new and different challenges head on. While giving the reader a view of those challenges, the author writes in an optimistic tone. In this book, Melody takes on a new level of independence while her parents have to step back and let go a bit, and it brings out new emotions in all of them.

Out of My Heart by Sharon M Draper is the much awaited sequel to Out of My Mind. It is another well done story about Melody, a cerebral palsy victim who manages to communicate despite being unable to walk, talk or write. This time Melody goes to camp with other disabled children and it is heartwarming to read about the challenges they face and overcome.

One can't help but love Melody and cheer for her as she makes her way through this world. There are lessons for all of us here. I hope to see more of her!

Out of My Heart is a sequel to Out of my Mind, where readers first met Melody, a vibrant middle schooler with cerebral palsy finding new ways to communicate with her peers and family.

This is a continuation of Melody's growth and confidence; she is determined to experience summer camp and finds one perfectly suited to children who need extra support that traditional camps wouldn't provide. Her parents are hesitant but willing, and before they know it, Melody is dropped off at the camp.

Melody makes friends with the campers and counselors and the experiences there are familiar to your own camp stories, perhaps. There are bonfires, crafts, swimming, games, and food. Melody also is drawn to a boy in one of the other cabins, so readers get to celebrate as she encounters her first crush. 

Out of My Heart is a strong addition to Melody's story and an important, relevant middle grade book that can offer empathy, insight, and meaningful conversations for readers young and old to remove barriers and challenge assumptions.

(I received a digital ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.)

The is the long anticipated sequel to “Out of My Mind” by Karen Draper. When we first met Melody, she was a brilliant middle schooler who is confined to a wheelchair and can’t speak. We see her struggles in school, but her ability to be positive and overcome adversity.
Now Melody is a year older and wants to go to summer camp with other children of difffering abilities. She even has a device that “speaks” for her. We see her forming friendships and even meeting a boy.
The first book really changed my perspective on people in wheelchairs and people who are nonverbal. This should be required reading for every middle schooler and educator. As a teacher myself, I feel that this book has helped me relate to all of my students better.
I hope the author writes another book in this series. Thank you to Karen Draper, the publisher and NetGalley for a copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

This was a great book and a great follow-up to Out Of My Mind. It gave a great glimpse into Melody’s life after the first book. I do think it has a multitude of unrealistic ideas, beginning with the camp being so close and that her parents hadn’t heard of it prior to this book. And the amenities don’t seem realistic, especially as someone who has worked at a summer camp and involved campers with disabilities. All that to say, I think the storyline was so good that it didn’t even matter that it wasn’t realistic. The lessons learned and overall descriptions were so well done that I could overlook anything that (as an adult) I could tell wasn’t realistic. The students loved it so much!

Out of My Mind has been one of my favorite middle grade novels since I first read it. I had mixed feelings when I saw Out of My Heart. I wanted to see what was next for Melody, but I was was not sure how the author could possibly write a sequel that was as good as the first book. I was wrong. I really enjoyed Out of My Heart. It was great to see Melody again and to join her on new adventures to summer camp. The book started out a bit slowly, but once I got past the first chapter, I read the rest in one sitting.

Thank you to the publisher and to Net Galley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Out of My Mind was a must read (aloud) for my elementary students for several years. The book was everything you could want: interesting characters, important lessons, and exposure to disabilities in youth. It was so moving and touched our students deeply.

It was wonderful to reconnect with Melody and her family while reading Out of My Heart. I enjoyed seeing Melody develop independence and experience so many new things while she attended a special camp. Though this sequel didn't have the same feel as the first, it was still a great and unexpected read.

While Draper’s book Out of my Head remains my favorite, Draper’s sequel about a preteen girl with cerebral palsy is an excellent book. 12-year-old Melody tells her story of what it is like to live in a wheelchair, unable to do anything independently. Melody’s voice is authentic as she tells of her week at a summer camp for disabled children. She speaks of having friends who accept her just as she is. She tells of her first -time swimming, zip-lining and riding a horse. And she now has a medi-talker that allows her to communicate vocally with others. A welcome addition to any collection that encourages readers to learn about people different from themselves, or people like Melody who never see themselves portrayed in literature.

Sharon Draper began Melody’s story in Out of My Mind. I recommend reading it for background before reading her newest account in Out of My Heart. Reading them back to back would be best. The first book, with a nice story arc, introduces us to Melody who has cerebral palsy, a condition that limits her physical capability to a wheelchair and her ability to communicate.

Out of My Heart, which came out on November 17, instead of a story arc like the first book, has an account more like a diary of a week in her life. It begins with her longing to go to camp. She is still wheelchair bound, but now has a Medi-talker that helps her communicate and clearly refutes the idea that there is nothing in her head. She takes the initiative to find a camp for differently-abled kids like herself and convinces her parents that she can handle the week though they are nervous. The weeklong story line takes her past her fear of water to learn to swim, on a scary fly on a zip line, and atop a horse. Her encouraging camp counselor, assigned specifically to her for the week, helps her face her fears but ultimately also has to back off and grant Melody a bit of self-sufficiency.

Other typical camp activities like campfires, thunderstorms, and varmints in her cabin are enhanced when one of the boys takes a special interest in her. The week at camp gains Melody a sense of independence and strength along with a new group of friends, which are worthy camp goals whether or not one is differently-abled.

As she did in the first book, Draper brings understanding and empathy to Melody and others like her, showing her humanity along with the ups and downs of dealing with her limitations.

I absolutely LOVED Out of My Mind and had very high expectations with this book. So, I didn't love it quite as much, but there is a LOT of good in Out of My Heart. I think it's great to have all kinds of people represented in books; readers may see themselves or they may learn about others and either way, it's a win.

Melody goes to summer camp in this book. It is a summer camp for kids with disabilities, so she is able to be surrounded by people who get it, people who know what it's like to be left out because the world hasn't been made for them. For the first time, these kids are able to be plain, old kids. They play on a playground, swim, ride horses, and more. They make friends, learn about themselves, and maybe even have a small crush.

Ms. Draper is a treasure. She has written books that everyone can enjoy, and Out of My Heart is no exception. She teaches without preaching and celebrates kids' strengths.

My thanks to Simon and Shuster Children's Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is such a beautiful story! I love seeing the evolution of this character. The story is so heartwarming, and I loved Melody's journey!

I just finished, Out of My Heart by Sharon Draper, who authored the beloved bestseller Out of My Mind. This book continues Melody's story as she learns about and begs her parents to let her attend a summer camp for children with disabilities (Melody has cerebral palsy, is confined to a wheelchair, and is nonverbal). It is incredibly touching, heartwarming, and introduces characters that I want to read more about!
Melody's cabinmates are as lovable as Melody herself, and Melody's personal camp counselor, Trinity, serves as a great role model for how to listen to and respect someone with disabilities. Melody experiences swimming, horseback riding, and even her first dance. While some may criticize this book for being too triumphant, no one can argue that Melody deserves a win. Friendship with other girls who face similar struggles is not unrealistic, and this book shows the necessity of these friendships to Melody's soul. Abled children also need to see that Melody's disabilities do not keep her from thinking and feeling the same things they think and feel. This is a story of hope - that the Melodys of this world can experience their own triumphs, and that the rest of us will cheer with and for them, believing in what they CAN do if given the chance.

The story of Melody continues in this great follow up novel to Out of My Mind. In this book Melody is off to summer camp and discovers that she can do all the fun things! I liked how the first book is all about awareness of disabilities and in this book it is all about celebrating differences and empowering the individual child. I loved following Melody’s journey..

In Out of My Mind, we saw Melody try to fit in with her classmates. In Out of My Heart we get the joy of seeing Melody go to camp and meet and bond with children that have disabilities. It is such a heartwarming book.

12 yo Melody is one of the smartest girls her age, but at first sight people don't know that - Melody is in a wheel chair and needs help to do almost everything. Last year she was on the Quiz Kids team at school, but now it's summer vacation and Melody is ready to try something new - like Summer Camp! With the help of her librarian, Melody researches camps for kids with special needs and find one still accepting campers and it's only 2 hours away! Both excited and worried, Melody finds herself sharing a cabin with 3 other girls and 4 counselors (each camper has their own) in a place designed especially for kids like her. But is she brave enough to try everything, like swimming, ziplining and even horseback riding?

I loved seeing Melody making friends with other kids who get it, and being given the opportunity to not be constrained by limitations for the first time in her life. While not as gripping as book 1, I found myself spending a day at camp with Melody, knowing she was well cared for and enjoyed seeing how regular experiences were accommodated for a special needs camper. A wonderful companion/sequel to "Out of My Mind" which was originally published in 2010, so this is a great time to update your shelves and buy both books.

I was so excited to hear that one of my favorite middle-grade novels of all time would be getting a sequel, and it was so lovely and comfortable to get to slip back into Melody's world and head. This is such a different story from Out of My Mind, but is equally delightful. I would recommend that anyone who hasn't yet read Out of My Mind should definitely read that story first, in order to get to know Melody better before this adventure (and because it's such an amazing book!). I love Melody's attitude, spunk, and courage, and it was so fun to see her grow so much in this story with a whole new kind of adventure.

Fantastic follow up to Out of my Mind. I loved having ine of my favorite stories continue. Highly recommend.