Out of My Mind Reading Guide & Discussion Questions

Book Club Discussion Questions

Print PDF

For supplemental discussion material see our Beyond the Book article, What is Cerebral Palsy? and our BookBrowse Review of Out of My Mind.

Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!

1. The novel opens with a powerful discussion of the power of words and language. How does this help capture the reader's attention? What predictions can the reader make about the narrator of the story? What inferences can be made about the thought processes of the narrator's mind?
   


2. In a world that does not work for her, what seems to cause the biggest frustrations for Melody?
   


3. Describe Melody's parents. How do they learn to communicate with Melody and help her to overcome everyday problems? Why are those efforts sometimes a complete failure?
   

Unless otherwise stated, this discussion guide is reprinted with the permission of Atheneum Books. Any page references refer to a USA edition of the book, usually the trade paperback version, and may vary in other editions.