OUT OF MY DREAMS

OUT OF MY DREAMS by Sharon M. Draper

It wasn't my intention to return to writing posts until Monday, but I just closed the cover of Susan Draper's newest book, and I don't want to forget the details. It is fantastic which is why I am kicking off the 2025 posts with one of my TOP PICKS for the year!

Out of My Dreams is the third book in the continuing story of Melody, a special needs, wheelchair bound young lady who has no voice to share her unbelievable intelligence without Elvira, her talking computer. Forgive me, but we need to rabbit trail for just a moment.

To fully understand and appreciate Melody's situation, you will want to start with Draper's first book, Out of My Mind, if you haven't read it. I did not read Out of My Heart where Melody goes to camp. Out of My Dreams does reference the time there, but it explains it enough that I didn't feel lost at all by skipping it.

Out of My Dreams begins with Melody looking out of her window and seeing her elderly neighbor fall and hit her head against the sidewalk. With her family members in other parts of the house, Melody is unable to get their attention. As the panic begins to rise inside her as the neighbor doesn't get up, Melody remembers the 9-1-1 button on Elvira, her talking computer. She pushes the button. At first the emergency operator thinks she is a prankster and disconnects the call, but Melody persists, and without giving all the details away, she is able to get help for her injured neighbor. This event catches the attention of a local news crew, and again without divulging much of the book's story, Melody finds herself on her way to England to attend I.D.E.A. a creative think tank for young people to share and foster innovative ideas for the future.

Having been both a 911 operator and having worked with special needs children and adults at a summer camp all through my high school years, this book really resonated with me. I think one of the most powerful things Draper does for readers is to powerfully hit home the fact that disabled people are just that...PEOPLE. They have thoughts, feelings, goals, intelligence, and some are even geniuses. A book can be a great way to introduce the idea to our children of spending time with this oftentimes overlooked group in our society.