Out of My Heart

Read Out of My Mind. How does the character of Melody change with that backstory? Is Out of My Heart a stand-alone? Why might Sharon M. Draper have waited more than a decade to pick up the story of Melody Brooks?

Noah Abercrombie as Melody’s first crush is a secondary character. He shares with Melody the circumstances of his difficult birth and the wide range of his likes. Using his love of music, his respect for the fireflies, and the dance he shares with Melody the last night at camp, write a character analysis of Noah.

The novel uses a wide range of songs to give emotional and thematic depth to critical scenes. Take any of the songs mentioned within the novel, and research its lyrics. Then apply them to the scene in which the song factors, analyzing why the song was selected and what meanings it adds to the passage.

Examine Chapters 36-41, in which Melody conquers her fear of horse riding. What does she learn about herself and her relationship with Trinity? What does her handling of the runaway horse tell her about who she is? Compare her handling of the horse to her confrontation first with the snake in the cabin and then the skunk in the woods.

“I’d give anything for people to see me first, not my chair” (255), Melody says to Noah. What do you learn about how kids in her school treat her? Because the reader only hears her voice, the reader must remind themselves that Melody uses a wheelchair. Discuss how the novel encourages more empathetic treatment of those with disabilities.

Choose a camp activity Melody experiences and analyze how Melody is at the beginning of the experience and how she changes afterward. How will the experience help her going forward? How will it change her interactions with her classmates, if at all?

Research cerebral palsy and how it impacts emotional as well as physical development. In what ways does Melody adapt to her cerebral palsy? How do her support systems help or hinder her? Why does Melody want to go to a camp so badly?

Why does Noah call Melody “Firefly Girl”? Compare the opening scene when Mrs. V insists Penny release the fireflies she has trapped in her jar to the scene near the end when Melody, in her final art project, uses blobs of orange paint that look like fireflies to represent her new friends. How do fireflies suggest Melody’s journey to freedom?