Special Books About Special Kids - novels about learning difficulties

I’ve read some powerful books about children who are different; kids who face more challenges than most people.


Wonder by R.J. Palacio is one of the most recent ones and received a lot of attention, also thanks to the movie with Julia Roberts.


I liked A Mango Shaped Space by Wendy Mass a lot.

And Rules by Cynthia Lord is one of my favourites.

But Out of My Mind by Sharon M. Draper wins the prize.
Wow.
What a powerful story.
Written so perfectly.


Out of My Mind is written in the first person, which is a brave and bold move by this award winning author. Because Melody, the main character, has cerebral palsy. She cannot speak, her limbs move involuntarily, she drools and makes funny sounds. What no one realizes is that Melody’s brain works perfectly. She remembers facts, she gets match, she can spell like the best of them but she cannot let anyone know. Imagine the words and thoughts all stuck inside your brain and no way to let them out… Thanks to Draper's skillful writing, we are inside Melody’s head and feel her frustration.
Melody is mad and frustrated to no end. She ends up in a special class of kids who cannot learn.
Eventually, however, classroom integration allows her to be in a class with “normal” kids and learn more. It isn’t until a new computer allows her to communicate, much like Stephen Hawkins, that her family and friends realize her potential. But even when they do, Melody faces obstacles that make life more difficult for her than for most people. With her strong determination, she overcomes it all.
This book is a must-read for all booklovers, but a special eye opener for all those (educators) who work with children who have physical challenges.

ISBN 141697170X (ISBN13: 9781416971702)