BookBright
ABOUT THE BOOK
NO SPOILERSMelody Brooks is ten years old, has a photographic memory, and has never spoken a single word. She has cerebral palsy, which means she can't walk, can't control her hands well enough to write, and can't make her mouth form the words that pile up inside her head in enormous stacks. She goes to a special-needs classroom at Spaulding Street Elementary where most teachers assume she understands very little, but Melody knows she is smarter than almost anyone around her. When her school starts an inclusion program that lets her join regular fifth-grade classes, and her neighbor Mrs. V helps her find a special talking computer called a Medi-Talker, Melody finally has a chance to show everyone what she's been holding inside all along.
Free Battle of the Books questions for Out of My Mind
SPOILERSEvery one of these has the same answer, and that is the point. In a real battle the question is read aloud with a dozen other books in play, and students have a few seconds to place it. Here is what a battle might ask about Out of My Mind. Use them as a quiz, a trivia round, or BOTB practice.
Where in the book they come from
- Early in the book
In what book does a neighbor woman always serve dessert before the healthy food?
✓ Answer
Out of My Mind by Sharon M. Draper
Mrs. V always feeds Melody dessert first, whether it's a vanilla milkshake or caramel candy, and then gives her the vegetables and healthy food afterward. It's their little secret, and Melody always eats all of it, both the yummy part and the healthy part.
- First half
In what book does a toddler drag a beat-up stuffed animal that might be a monkey or a squirrel?
✓ Answer
Out of My Mind by Sharon M. Draper
Penny's favorite toy is a soft, brown stuffed animal called Doodle that is so beat up nobody can tell what it is anymore. She drags it everywhere and cries for it every morning. When she says its name, it sounds more like "doo-doo," which makes her dad crack up.
- First half
In what book does a girl secretly name her new communication device after a country song she loves?
✓ Answer
Out of My Mind by Sharon M. Draper
When Melody gets her Medi-Talker, she privately names it after the Oak Ridge Boys song she has loved since she was a baby. She never types the name into the machine because it's personal, but in her mind that's what the device is called. Her heart's on fire for it.
- Second half
In what book do classmates mock a girl by jerking their hands and kicking their legs?
✓ Answer
Out of My Mind by Sharon M. Draper
When Melody gets excited about making the quiz team and her body starts doing its involuntary spastic movements, Molly and Claire mock her by jerking their hands, kicking their legs, and making crazy noises. A few students giggle, and the teacher's face grows tight. Melody asks to leave the room.
- Second half
In what book does a stage manager build a special answer board for a wheelchair at a quiz show?
✓ Answer
Out of My Mind by Sharon M. Draper
A stage manager named Paul, whose own son uses a wheelchair, builds a special setup so Melody can compete in the Whiz Kids competition. The color-coded buttons are large enough that Melody can hit them with her whole fist instead of aiming with just her thumb.
- Near the end
In what book does a team go to breakfast without one member and then fly to a competition without her?
✓ Answer
Out of My Mind by Sharon M. Draper
The quiz team goes out for an early breakfast together but doesn't invite Melody because they figure she would slow them down since she has to be fed. When the noon flight gets cancelled, they take the last earlier flight and decide not to call her. This is one of the most heartbreaking moments in Out of My Mind.
