Recommended Ages: Gr. 3-6

Plot Summary: It's summer and Melody learned from the librarian that there's a camp only two hours away that is a perfect fit for her, and they have two openings for later in the summer! That night, Melody and her mom fill out the pages and pages of questions about her needs at camp, since she has cerebral palsy. Mom and Melody are nervous and excited to find out if she's accepted, and Melody is devastated when she finds out the camp is full. Thinking she is too much trouble and the camp didn't want to deal with her needs, Melody tries not to get into a funk for too long. Within 24 hours, she learns there is a cancelation, and she can leave in just 2 days! After frantic packing and shopping and packing and shopping, they're off. The whole family is dropping her off at her first camp, and her first time away from her parents. The whole way there, she switches from excited to so nervous she wants to declare she's ready to just go home. Upon arrival, she's still thinking she might back out and just head home, but the little piece of her that's excited makes her continue to stick around, even after her family left. Melody now has to face a ton of new experiences: swimming, zipline, painting, boating, and even horseback riding. Will Melody be brave enough to stick it out? Will she make any friends at her first camp?

Setting: Ohio, Melody has never really been in nature before going to camp, Camp Green Glades is 2 hours away

Characters:
Melody Brooks - 11 yo
Elvira - Melody's computer that helps Melody speak out loud
Penny Brooks - Melody's 4-5 yo sister
Mrs. V. - next door neighbor, like another parent who cares for Melody and her sister over the summer
Butterscotch - Melody's golden retriever
Cassie - head of the camp, leads the bonfires
Trinity - counselor assigned to Melody, has a little sister with cerebral palsy, got into a car accident and has a brace on one of her legs, born in Jamaica, raised in Jamaica, NY
Karyn - camper in a green wheelchair, has spina bifida, wants to leave camp early
Kim - Karyn's counselor
Athena - camper, loves pink, down syndrome
Sage - Athena's counselor, almost an Olympic swimmer
Jocelyn - camper who starts off very quiet and says very little, makes very little eye contact
Lulu - Jocelyn's counselor, 6 feet tall, plays basketball and does ballet
Noah - camper who uses a walker, very friendly towards Melody and sits next to her a few times at the campfire after they connected on the boat ride, very patient as Melody types on Elvira

Recurring Themes: camp, independence, cerebral palsy, different abilities, friendship, first crush, coming-of-age, fireflies, first experiences

Controversial Issues: none

Personal Thoughts: I am convinced every single kid who is considering sleepaway camp for the first time has these very same emotions leading up to the camp and then ending up loving it. I like that this book describes this aspect in such a common way but has the element of learning about others abilities, and the opportunities these kids don't always get to experience. I thought there were a lot of exclamation marks in this book but I also believe that's how most 11 years olds think and talk. I definitely felt like I was Melody and got choked up at the end.

Genre: realistic fiction

Pacing: fast, the whole book takes place in less than 10 days
Characters: love the way they are described by their abilities and what they do after the author identifies early in the book any potential diagnosis (for most characters, not all)
Frame:
Storyline:

Activity: ( )

3.5 stars ( )

Sharon Draper continues Melody's story in this wonderful sequel to out of my mind. Draper continues to give Melody a voice and write an authentic YA book about disability that never tries to be an inspiration p*rn or turn disability into a tragedy. In this sequel, Melody goes to camp, a sleepaway camp, gains independence, and experiences her first crush ( )

It's summer, and Melody has a plan: she's found a camp for kids like her, and she wants to go. Camp Green Glade has all sorts of activities - swimming, horseback riding, and more - and it's specially made for kids like her, whether with cerebral palsy or other physical challenges. She convinces her parents to check it out, and she's set for a summer full of new experiences.

This was an absolute joy to read. I already liked Melody in Out of My Mind, and I loved spending more time with this girl with a sharp brain who isn't going to let anything hold her back. Where Out of My Mind was in many ways about how she was left out, this book really focused on what she could do. It was fun to see her make friends and absolutely blossom over the week of camp. ( )

In this sequel to OUT OF MY MIND, Melody goes to summer camp for a week, where she meets and bonds with other kids with disabilities. Her cabin of "fiery falcons" rides horses, goes swimming, ziplines, paints, enjoys nighttime bonfires, and even dances.

A solid follow-up to OUT OF MY MIND for readers who want more of Melody's story, and it works as a standalone as well. There's a memorable metaphor in which Melody describes having so much (brain)power on the inside, yet so little control over her outside.

#DisabilityVisibility

Quote

All that power dimmed. I thought about that. It faded - we couldn't see it, but wasn't it still there, just waiting to be used? ...And all of a sudden, I felt like crying/ Because...well, that was me - so much on the inside that still could not get to the outside. Energy trapped....I'm tangled inside myself. And there's no magical key to unravel the coils. (Melody on a boat, 150) ( )