I read this book when it came out a couple years ago and knew I wanted to use it with my 4th-6th grade book club. I re-read it in preparation for our discussion and it was just as good the second time around. The story is told by Melody, an eleven year old with cerebral palsy. Melody is wheelchair bound, cannot speak and must be assisted with the basics of life. She also has a nearly photographic memory and is highly intelligent. In the beginning nobody knows how bright she is because she is unable to tell anyone what she knows. Professionals advise her parents to institutionalize her which, fortunately, they ignore. She is stuck in a special education class where teachers treat the students like preschoolers. With the help of a caring neighbor she learns to communicate, first with a letter and word board and eventually a computerized device that allows her to "speak" through it. Some teachers are still skeptical about her abilities and she is not accepted by the "normal" students in the school because of her differences. These problems come to head when she wins a place on her school's team for a national quiz program. No spoilers here. Draper, who is the mother of a child with developmental difficulties has written an understanding and touching portrait of what it is like to be looked down upon because of perceived differences.
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