“We all have disabilities. What’s yours?” This is one of the most profound and truthful quotes from the amazing, Out of My Mind novel by Sharon M. Draper. I loved this book so much. It made me cry with joy, but it also broke my heart with how cruel humans can be. I also loved how the author brought it to a close in an unexpected way. I think your students will love it just as much, and encourage them to think about how they treat one another, especially those who are different than they are. This novel is a great book to use in the classroom, and I can’t recommend it enough!
Out of My Mind was first published in 2010, by the award-winning, Sharon M. Draper. It is the story of Melody, a fifth-grader who has Cerebral Palsy. Melody has always felt that she is trapped in her mind without a door or a key because she is not able to talk and communicate all that is in her genius, photographic mind.
As Melody is “let out of her mind” with the help of an electric wheelchair, technology, and school aides, she shows everyone how much was trapped within her for all these years. It is an inspiring story that stays true to the realities of just how cruel fifth-graders (and ignorant adults) can be when dealing with someone they don’t understand or have experiences with.
Why Out of My Mind is a great book to use in a novel study.
Contains an Engaging Plot: The plot is engaging and will keep readers interested from start to finish. The story is not only emotionally compelling, but it also highlights the importance of inclusivity and empathy. As a result, it is an excellent book to study in the classroom as it can generate meaningful discussions.
Strong Character Development: The main character Melody is a complex character with depth and dimension. As readers follow her journey, they will witness her growth and development as she navigates the challenges of living with a disability. Her story is relatable, and readers will find themselves rooting for her.
Use of Literary Devices: Out of My Mind is rich with literary devices such as metaphors, similes, and imagery. The author also uses repetition and alliteration to create a rhythmic flow to the story. The use of these devices makes the book an excellent teaching tool for literary analysis and creative writing.
Social Issues/Inclusivity: The novel addresses social issues such as inclusivity and empathy towards people with disabilities. The story challenges readers to think about how society treats individuals with disabilities and how we can make the world more inclusive for everyone. The book also touches on themes of perseverance, acceptance, and self-discovery.
Accessibility to All Readers: The language used in the book is straightforward and easy to understand. It is accessible to readers of all levels, making it an excellent choice for younger readers or readers who are new to English.
Try a free sample of the novel study for Out of My Mind
Out of My Mind should be a must-read for every fifth-grader to help enhance empathy and understanding for those different from us. We should all face the question, “We all have disabilities. What’s yours?” The engaging plot, complex characters, literary devices, social issues, and accessibility make it a perfect choice for a novel study, or to have in your classroom library.
I offer a complete novel studyto accompany Out of My Mind for use in the classroom or homeschool. The unit includes both a printable format and a Google Drive™ format for use in a paperless classroom or with Google Classroom. It is a great book to use in your classroom or homeschool for a whole class novel study, small book groups, or individual book studies.
You can purchase this novel study at the following locations:
Are you interested in reading about and sharing ideas with other educators on using children’s literature in your classroom? My goal is to bring together teachers and homeschoolers who teach grades 3-8 and use novels with their students. I’d love for you to join me to learn, share, and grow together!
A while back I partook in a discussion on Facebook about the factuality of the novel Wonder. Now, I love the book Wonder and feel it has a solid needed place in the classroom, but how the author addresses hearing loss is concerning. I addressed this in my novel study by adding a non-fiction article to help portray the real side of hearing loss so that students reading the novel understand the mistakes made by the author.
While discussing my feelings on Facebook, another person asked if I had read the novel El Deafo by Cece Bell. She was curious about how real and factual it is to a person who walks in the shoes of hearing loss, such as me. She said her students overwhelmingly love the Newbery Honor-winning graphic novel. ordered the novel to read and am so happy that I did!
I have been living with hearing loss for over 25 years. It is a daily struggle to communicate with my family and the world. I have lost many things due to my hearing loss, including my teaching career. El Deafo is the autobiographical story of Cece Bell’s struggles with hearing loss told in a graphic novel format that is a perfect way to get the true feelings across. The book highlights how Cece embraces these struggles and turns them into a superpower! Even though Cece is in elementary school in the book and I am well beyond that age, I found myself shaking my head in agreement and relating to Cece like I never have before in any other story I have read. It’s like so many of the things she was saying I have said or felt so many times!
The message that volume does not equal better hearing was strong in this book, and it is a message that the hearing world really fails to understand and yet, really needs to! Talking louder, talking slower, talking more pronounced DOES NOT HELP! It makes it much more difficult for those like Cece and myself who rely on lip-reading to understand. If the only message that you take away from this story is NOT to turn up the volume for those with hearing loss, the world will be a better place! That’s not the only message, as there were so many I could relate to, including isolation, feelings of shame, embarrassment, avoidance of situations, putting up with things and people only due to fear, and on and on. Cece doesn’t just focus on the negative, she embraces her differences and turns them into a superpower to draw people to her. I just loved everything about this book. I also believe that you don’t have to have hearing loss to relate to and love this book. It is such a wonderful read for ALL students.
El Deafo is a powerful and impactful novel that offers a unique perspective on the experiences of the hearing-loss community. Its accessible format, relevant themes, and emotional connection make it an ideal choice for a novel study in the classroom. I had never created a product for a graphic novel before, so it was a different process, especially with the lack of vocabulary activities.
I also wanted to include as much real-world information to help the student walk away with a greater understanding of the factual side of hearing loss and to learn better ways to communicate with those that live with a hearing loss. There is so much great information on this subject which made a WebQuest a productive way to address this portion of the novel study, especially in the ever more frequent digital classroom! As with all of my other novel studies, these activities are also available in a Google Drive format for those in a paperless classroom.
Reasons to Use El Deafo as a novel study in Your Classroom
Diverse Representation: El Deafo provides a unique perspective on the experiences of people with hearing loss, promoting diversity and inclusiveness in the classroom.
Emotional Connection: The personal narrative of the protagonist Cece creates an emotional connection with readers, encouraging empathy and understanding.
Promotes Understanding: The book offers insight into the challenges faced by people with hearing loss and promotes a greater understanding of the challenges that they live with.
Accessible to All: The graphic novel format makes El Deafo accessible to a wide range of readers, including those who may struggle with traditional text-based novels.
Relevant Themes: The themes of identity, friendship, and self-discovery are universal and relevant to students of all ages and abilities, making El Deafo an ideal choice for a novel study.
Try a free sample of the novel study for El Deafo
If you haven’t read this book, please do so, even if you don’t plan to do a novel study. I cannot recommend this book enough to everyone! I hope you will use this in your classroom to help get the knowledge out there for everyone who lives with a hearing loss or knows someone that does. Knowledge leads to understanding, and understanding leads to inclusion and empathy. We can never have enough of that in this world!
You can purchase this novel study at the following locations:
Are you interested in reading about and sharing ideas with other educators on using children’s literature in your classroom? My goal is to bring together teachers and homeschoolers who teach grades 3-8 and use novels with their students. I’d love for you to join me to learn, share, and grow together!
In 2010, Sharon Draper brought Melody to life in Out of My Mind. Melody is a young girl whose mind is full of curiosity and vast amounts of information but Cerebral Palsy makes it difficult for her to participate and communicate with her classmates and peers. Out of My Mind helps the reader look at disabilities and accessibility in a different way. Now, over a decade later, Sharon M. Draper has brought Melody back to us. Melody is now a year older and on the cusp of her teenage years. Melody is looking for the independence and experiences that all girls her age strive for. Out of My Heart is the tale of Melody’s pursuits of these experiences at summer camp.
Meet author Sharon M. Draper as she reads an excerpt from her new novel, Out of My Heart.
This novel helps the reader look at more experiences and roadblocks that kids living with disabilities face. At camp, Melody makes friends with different kids her age who face similar and different challenges. Melody finds camaraderie and true friendship with kids that can really relate, all while facing fears of trying new challenges. Melody’s world is opened up, as are the reader’s eyes, as they experience the challenges of accessibility that are out there for kids like Melody.
From the Book Jacket:
Melody faces her fears to follow her passion in this stunning sequel to the acclaimed, New York Times bestselling middle-grade novel Out of My Mind.
Melody, the huge-hearted heroine of Out of My Mind, is a year older, and a year braver. And now with her Medi-talker, she feels nothing’s out of her reach, not even summer camp. There have to be camps for differently-abled kids like her, and she’s going to sleuth one out. A place where she can trek through a forest, fly on a zip line, and even ride on a horse! A place where maybe she really can finally make a real friend, make her own decisions, and even do things on her own—the dream!
By the light of flickering campfires and the power of thunderstorms, through the terror of unexpected creatures in cabins and the first sparkle of a crush, Melody’s about to discover how brave and strong she really is.
Try a free sample of the novel study for Out of My Heart
Take your students on this new journey to camp with Melody. Your students will see themselves while they learn about the challenges that are faced every day by those living with disabilities. This helps open eyes and builds empathy to help students strive to make experiences in life accessible to all.
I offer a complete novel study to accompany Out of My Heart, which includes informational WebQuests to learn more about Cerebral Palsy and Down Syndrome for use in the classroom or in homeschool. The unit includes both a printable format and a Google Drive™ format for use in a paperless classroom or with Google Classroom.
You can purchase this novel study at the following locations:
You can also buy Out of My Mind and Out of My Heart bundled together at a discount!
Are you interested in reading about and sharing ideas with other educators on using children’s literature in your classroom? My goal is to bring together teachers and homeschoolers who teach grades 3-8 and use novels with their students. I’d love for you to join me to learn, share, and grow together!
This past summer I attended a seminar presented by Sherri from Literary Sherri, about Intersectionality. This is a newer term that may be unfamiliar to many, but it is meaningful and impactful and is worthy of everyone, especially teachers, educating themselves about. From Merriam-Webster, “Intersectionality refers to the complex and cumulative way that the effects of different forms of discrimination (such as racism, sexism, and classism) combine, overlap, and yes, intersect—especially in the experiences of marginalized people or groups.” You can read in more detail about how it is all intertwined at the Merriam-Webster website.
I am happy to say I already had several novel studies to support intersectionality in the classroom such as Out of My Mind, El Deafo, Fish in a Tree, Freak the Mighty, and Wonderto name a few. These modern novels help students understand the differences and challenges that others face and help build empathy and awareness that lead to a better educated and caring community.
I had heard a lot of chatter in teacher circles about the 2017 novel, Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus by Dusti Bowling, as a good one to use to help build a stronger, more caring, and kind classroom community. The chatter was right! This book is wonderful to help others really see through the eyes of another the challenges that can be faced by differences and disabilities. In addition to the empathy it sparks, it is hilarious. I found myself laughing out loud many times at the humor of Aven, the main character. Students will relate to her snarky and modern take on living the life of a thirteen-year-old. I dare say, I may have even liked this book more than Wonder!
From the book jacket:
“Aven Green loves to tell people that she lost her arms in an alligator wrestling match or a wildfire in Tanzania, but the truth is she was born without them. And when her parents take a job running Stagecoach Pass, a rundown western theme park in Arizona, Aven moves with them across the country knowing that she’ll have to answer the question over and over again.
Her new life takes an unexpected turn when she bonds with Connor, a classmate who also feels isolated because of his own disability, and they discover a room at Stagecoach Pass that holds bigger secrets than Aven ever could have imagined. It’s hard to solve a mystery, help a friend, and face your worst fears. But Aven’s about to discover she can do it all . . . even without arms.“
Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus is just so wonderful to use in the classroom to incorporate intersectionality. You have Aven who lives with a congenital disability, Connor who lives with Tourette Syndrome, Zion who deals with bullying over his weight, add in adoption, divorce, and money struggles told from both a male and female perspective and there’s a lot of areas that intertwine in the intersectionality of life to help build the bridges of understanding and empathy.
Try a free sample of the novel study for Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus
I can’t recommend this book highly enough. I really, really loved it and I know you and your students will too. Aven’s voice is so funny and she really challenges the readers to open their hearts and minds to the differences of others.
I offer a full novel study for Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus that you can use with a whole class, small book groups, or individual students. It is easily adaptable and contains both a printable option and a Google Drive™ option.
You can purchase this novel study at the following locations:
Are you interested in reading about and sharing ideas with other educators on using children’s literature in your classroom? My goal is to bring together teachers and homeschoolers who teach grades 3-8 and use novels with their students. I’d love for you to join me to learn, share, and grow together!
Niagara Falls or Does It? is the first book in Henry Winkler and Lin Oliver’s Hank Zipzer series. is a great book to use in your classroom or homeschool for a whole class novel study, small book groups, or individual book studies that present the learning challenges that Hank Zipzer experiences due to his undiagnosed Dyslexia.
Hank Zipzer is inspired by the challenges that Henry Winkler (best known as the Fonz!) faced as a boy. Henry’s undiagnosed Dyslexia made him a classic underachiever and gave him great anxiety about all aspects of going to school. The Hank Zipzer series is about Hank’s funny adventures while highlighting the inner thoughts, doubts, and fears that living with learning differences poses. Henry himself along with his co-author, Lin Oliver, explain their inspiration for the series here:
I loved the quote from Lin Oliver, ” The most important part for us in creating the series is to speak to kids and let them know that inside each one of them they have a unique and special contribution that they can make to the world.” Kids that face learning challenges, among them Dyslexia, often face depression and low-self esteem thinking they are dumb, or less than their peers. The series gives kids the voice to know that they aren’t “stupid” that they are just wired in a different way and in many ways, this makes them even more talented in certain things.
From the Book Jacket of Niagara Falls, or Does it?:
It’s science project time in Ms. Adolf’s class. This is good news and bad news for Hank-he loves science, but he hates the report part. So Hank turns to TV to take his mind off things. But when the program directory scrolls by too quickly for Hank to know what’s on, he decides to take apart the cable box to try to slow down the crawl. Great! Now Hank has found the perfect science project! But what he wasn’t counting on was his sister’s pet iguana laying eighteen eggs in the disassembled cable box. How is Hank going to get out of this one?
As a parent of a child that deals with similar learning challenges, I find Henry Winkler and his Hank Zipzer so inspiring. I was so happy to be able to give this book to my son in third grade so that he could read a book that had a character that he could relate to and give him inspiration that he is smarter than he may feel. Add the humor and this kid was hooked. It’s great that there are sixteen more books in the series to keep kids reading.
I’d like to share another video from Henry Winkler where he discusses Dyslexia and shares his experiences. He is an inspiring role model for kids with learning challenges and if you have someone in your life struggling, may it be a student or your own child, please share this with them as well.
I offer a complete novel study to accompany Niagara Falls, or Does it? for use in the classroom or homeschool. The unit includes both a printable format and a Google Drive™ format for use in a paperless classroom or with Google Classroom.
Try a free sample of the novel study for Hank Zipzer: Niagara Falls, or Does It?
You can purchase this novel study at the following locations:
Once you’ve moved through the Hank Zipzer series another great book that comes from the voice of a character with Dyslexia which I highly recommend for kids in grades 4-6, is Fish in a Tree by Lynda Mulally Hunt.
Are you interested in reading about and sharing ideas with other educators on using children’s literature in your classroom? My goal is to bring together teachers and homeschoolers who teach grades 3-8 and use novels with their students. I’d love for you to join me to learn, share, and grow together!
