Wonderful Reviews for Out of my Mind. Thank You!

I can't remember the last time I was so emotionally overwhelmed by a middle grade novel. Sharon Draper's new novel is the story of Melody, a 10 year old girl with Cerebral Palsy so severe that she can neither speak nor move independently. Trapped inside Melody's uncooperative body is a brilliant mind with a cutting wit.
Melody is relegated to a classroom of special needs kids because she can't communicate what is going on in her head. Her world suddenly opens up when she gets a computer with a voice program that allows her to speak for the first time. Unfortunately, the rest of the school is not ready to accept Melody.
I was silently cheering for Melody while I read this book as I sat at my kitchen table. The conversations she has with her parents and caregivers about being different are gut-wrenching. Melody knows exactly how she is perceived by other kids and adults, including teachers. The conversations between Melody's parents as they contemplate the birth of their second child moved me to tears.
This is more than a book about a girl with special needs. It holds up a mirror for all of us to see how we react to people with disabilities that make us uncomfortable.
I encourage everyone to read this.
Susan Aikens, Kids Book Buyer from Borders Head Office

BOOKLIST, 1/1/10, STAR
What would you do if you could not make yourself known, if you had thoughts you could not speak? That is narrator Melody Brooks's plight:
"By the time I was two, all my memories had words, and all my words had meanings. But only in my head," she writes. "I have never spoken one single word. I am almost eleven years old." This is her story, and also the story of a loving family and their devoted neighbor, who help Melody along on her path to say what she needs to say.
Sharon Draper (Copper Sun; Forged by Fire), who herself has a child with cerebral palsy--though she explicitly states that this is not her daughter's story--inhabits the brilliant, frustrated mind and unresponsive body of this child. This is the kind of book--like Terry Trueman's Stuck in Neutral or Harriet McBryde Johnson's Accidents of Nature--that makes readers aware of their own biases, and of what a great disservice those biases do to human beings whose outer trappings belie an extraordinary intelligence within. Draper's book is distinctive for the way she traces Melody's journey and her attempts to communicate from as far back as she can remember. In often poetic language, Melody describes how early on she "began to recognize noises and smells and tastes. The whump and whoosh of the furnace coming alive each morning.
The tangy odor of heated dust as the house warmed up." The author smoothly structures the book in a way that builds suspense while also creating a fuller picture of Melody's daily life. One chapter discusses obstacles from the medical community. At age five, Mrs. Brooks takes Melody to a doctor who says that Melody is "severely brain-damaged and profoundly retarded." Mrs. Brooks defends Melody's intelligence to him ("She laughs at jokes... right at the punch line") and, in another chapter describing Melody's life at school, stands up to a teacher who also underestimates her daughter's mental acuity.
A turning point occurs during one of Melody's daily after-school stays with next-door neighbor Mrs. Violet Valencia ("Mrs. V"): she and six-year-old Melody happen upon a documentary about Stephen Hawking.
"Melody, if you had to choose, which would you rather be able to do--walk or talk?" asks Mrs. V. "Talk. Talk. Talk," Melody answers, by repeatedly pointing at the word on her communication board. This begins Melody's quest to find the tools to express herself--first with word cards she makes with Mrs. V, then with phrases and, finally, with an electronic Medi-Talker. Melody takes charge of her own education and her means of communication. She thrives in her "inclusion classes" with the mainstream students academically, but is not accepted by them socially.
Even the most compassionate classmate can fall to peer pressure, as Melody learns on the brink of her greatest achievement on the Whiz Kids quiz team. Melody sees clearly the challenges before her, and it is the source of her greatest heartbreak but also her greatest inspiration.
It's impossible to close this book without thinking about the world differently.--Jennifer M. Brown

Well, I’m back home, a bit jet-lagged, but glad to be in the USA once more. The trip to Africa was amazing. The purpose, if you remember, was to take Copper Sun back to the continent. The program Reading Across Continents paired American students with students from Ghana and Nigeria. It was a true inter-continental, global, cross-cultural, shared social and educational experience. It focused on friendship and shared, common interests. As Americans, we sometimes see only the negative aspects of African society. We often fail to recognize the positive—their focus on education and their academic successes. The young people who were part of this program are the future leaders of their countries. And perhaps because of this program, they have formed friendships that will ease some of the world’s social tensions.
Ten students from Ghana and ten from Nigeria visited the United States for three weeks in September. On this trip, twenty American students, all high school seniors from School Without Walls in Washington, DC, made the journey to Africa to meet up with their friends. Ten went to Ghana. Ten went to Nigeria. Their reunions were joyous and heartwarming.
I went to Nigeria first, where I got to know the students there. We visited the American Embassy in Abuja, as well as other sites, and the students began taking classes—in the uniforms of the Nigerian students. I did a book talk about Copper Sun to the teens from both Nigeria and America. It was an amazing discussion.
All too soon I had to leave Nigeria for Ghana, where I met the ten American students as they arrived from the US. Another joyous reunion of friends from two continents.
In Ghana, the American students again embraced the uniforms of their Ghanaian friends. I did another book talk with the teens in Ghana about Copper Sun, and somehow it was an even more effective and powerful discussion. I think it’s because Ghana is where it all started.
The next day we got to travel to Cape Coast Castle, the place where the seeds of Copper Sun was born. I got to retrace my steps, to touch the stones of that building once more, and to tell Amari that I had done what she asked me to—tell her story to the world. I stood at the Door of No Return, in front of those twenty students, their teachers, and assorted guides and other visitors, and told the story of how the story started, of how I felt that I was asked to tell the tale. Then I gave thanks that not only was I able to write the book, and bring it back to that place, but that the book had been instrumental in joining the hearts and minds of forty young people and their teachers and schools. Not only had the story been told—it had been shared with the world. Standing in front of that door at that moment was one of the most powerful, emotional moments in my life. I wept. So did many of the students.
I took Amari back home.
Thank you.

To see all the pictures go to: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=39769&id=1473964793&l=12154a2803

Back to School! Read, Read, Read! And Enjoy the Process!

Salute to Librarians and Teachers--The Reader's Rap! It's back to school and back to reading.
Thanks for all you do to celebrate books, and to spread the magic and beauty of language.
The name of the poem is Reader's Rap, and you can find it in Book 6 of the Ziggy series. It's called Stars and Sparks On Stage.
The music is done by my friend Annie Ruth--visual artist, poet, musician, and creator of a magic all her own.

Have a wonderful school year!

"Grammy, I'm Famous!" SASSY hits Jasmine's school.

My granddaughter Jasmine is almost seven. Her school is having their Scholastic Book Fair this week. She called me last week when the flyers went out, telling me that my new book Sassy was "right there on the very first page!" She told her class that her grandmother had written the book, so I asked her what they said. She replied, "Well, half didn't believe me and the other half didn't care." But her teacher had listened. So this week, on the first day of the Book Fair, they ran the video clip that came with the BF package. Of course she's in it. When we did the filming for the Scholastic promo, we needed little girls about Sassy's age. So of course we chose Jasmine and a few other girls from my daughter's dance school.

Jasmine called me yesterday, just before I was to do a presentation for Scholastic at the International Reading Association Convention, to tell me that when she got to school the morning news show (yes, they do a TV show each morning with kids as anchors) was running the video. "And I"m in it, Grammy! And they didn't just show my class. The WHOLE SCHOOL saw it! Kids have been calling me Sassy all day!"

So I started my presentation with her story! It was, of course, a huge success. We must have had 200 folks in line.

So this morning Jasmine calls me again. It has gotten bigger. She got interviewed on the morning news show! They asked her all kinds of questions about her grandmother and how the book was written and how she got to be in it, etc. The whole interview, my son said, took almost ten minutes. Then they showed the video clip again! The librarian went out and bought 20 hardbacks for her library, and just about everybody in the school ordered Sassy from the book fair. And every kid in the school knows Jasmine, speaks to her, and thinks she's cool.

She ended her call this morning with a whispered, "Grammy, I'm famous!"

Now how cool is all that?? :-)

Introducing . . . SASSY! . . . . Click on the link below.

A Year of Reading: New Series by Sharon Draper

Salute to Librarians and Teachers--The Reader's Rap!

Thanks for all you do to celebrate books, and to spread the magic and beauty of language.
The name of the poem is Reader's Rap, and you can find it in Book 6 of the Ziggy series. It's called Stars and Sparks On Stage.
The music is done by my friend Annie Ruth--visual artist, poet, musician, and creator of a magic all her own.

SD

Interview on The Brown Bookshelf--Thank you!

http://thebrownbookshelf.com/2009/02/01/sharon-draper/#comments

Sharon M. Draper


It’s not unheard of for authors to wear two hats and be a “slash.” Author/Lawyer. Author/Doctor. Author/Teacher.
Although many writers draw from their other full-time job to enhance their fiction, most are counting down the days to shed that job so author becomes their sole profession. But Sharon Draper, bestselling author and five-time winner of the Coretta Scott King Literary Award, is among the group of writers who has such a passion for both her professions that she remains active in both in ways that would have most waving the white flag of surrender. She is an active member of the National Council of Teachers of English, the International Reading Association and has been honored as a National Teacher of the Year.

Her accomplishments are many and her literary prowess is well-documented with powerful stories of loss (November Blues), strength (Copper Sun) and change (Fire from The Rock). So what does someone who continues to help shape young adult literature feel about the state of it?



BBS: I’d be remiss if I didn’t make mention of our new President. As a teacher and writer for young readers, what do you think having a President, who is also an author, will mean to literacy in our country (either the impact on education or on reading/libraries/literacy measures)?

SD: I’m very proud of our new President and very hopeful for what change he can make in this country politically, socially, and of course, educationally. I don’t think the fact that he is an author is as significant as the fact that he is highly educated and he understand the value of books and literacy for his children and for ours as well. He knows that knowledge is the key that can unlock doors of possibility, so I’m confidant that he will be a powerful advocate for schools and libraries and educational programs. I’m hopeful that I will be able to offer my services to the new administration in the areas of literacy and education.

BBS: Can you tell me a little bit more about the infamous Draper Paper. What made it so tough? So tough students who have passed it donned “I Survived The Draper Paper”.

SD: The “Draper Paper” was simply a ten-page research paper that my seniors had to complete. It required several library visits and lots of planning and note-taking, and outlining, etc. In short, they learned the skills necessary to do a college research assignment. The problem, for the students at least, was that I required it be completed the last quarter of their senior year. Instead of going to the mall to look for prom dresses, they had to go to the library and find first-person references. In order to pass my class for the year, students had to complete the paper. It kept them on task at a time when seniors are most likely to lose interest in academics. They hated doing it, but felt so proud when they had completed it successfully. I still get emails from students who told me how they used their Draper Paper in college, and how it helped them learn perseverance. Even years later, many of them still have their tee-shirts, which were always designed by a student, and worn proudly the day the papers were turned in.

BBS: Do you believe the education system is challenging middle and high school students enough when it comes to their writing skill and reading levels?

SD: When I was in school we learned grammar. We learned sentence structure, then learned to use those sentences in paragraphs, and then to put paragraphs into longer written works. Many schools no longer do that. They have even divided what we used to call “English” classes into Reading classes and Language Arts classes, with little or no team teaching between those teachers. How can we separate reading from writing about what we have read? To divide seems to conquer, it seems to me. Students need to learn the structure of the language so they can read it and write it effectively. Hundreds of reading and writing programs exist that claim to help improve both skills. However, without a skilled, well-prepared, highly qualified teacher, such programs are merely decorations on a shelf.

Those of us who wish to help students on a more individual basis can help by reading to students, reading with students, and letting students read to us. It’s important that kids read what interests them. Have them read the instruction manual on a popular game, or an article from a sports magazine, for example. The same is true for writing. Encourage a student to write about what is important in their life—family, friends, school. Individual instruction is powerful and effective.

BBS: Although it’s taken some time to see an increase in the type of fiction available to young African American readers, we are seeing it. However, there are some who feel that offering a “Black” Gossip Girls could have a negative impact on literature for young African American readers. As more commercial and trendy books feature Black characters, where do you see the state of YA fiction for young Black readers in five or ten years?

SD: I would hope that young Black readers would demand quality. We so often stoop to the lowest common denominator, like purchasing music which denigrates our women in the name of culture. So I’d hope that readers who say that something like the Gossip Girls is not good enough, that they would demand books that reflect who they really are. As I travel around the country and talk to high school students, I’m overwhelmed by their strength and resilience, by their dreams for their future. Books should reflect their struggles and mirror their aspirations, not denigrate them into caricatures of reality. We’ve come too far to settle for less than the best.

BBS: You have the Hazelwood High trilogy and the Jericho trilogy. What attracts you to trilogies?

SD: I did the first trilogy by accident. I wrote Tears of a Tiger, and it ended up being quite successful. When I was asked to do a second book, I decided to take a minor character from the first book and develop him as the major character of the next book. That ended up being Gerald in Forged by Fire. Those two books meet in the middle as companion books. The third book in the Hazelwood trilogy, Darkness Before Dawn, was written to answer all the questions I received about what happened to the characters in the first two books. If I had known I was going to write three books when I started, I would have written them in chronological order.

But I found that students love reading more about the various characters, and they get involved in the fictional lives. So the Jericho trilogy was planned to be a trilogy, and, in chronological order! Each of the six books can stand alone and be read without the others, however.

BBS: What is the release date for Just Another Hero?

SD: Just Another Hero should be out in late May or early June. November Blues, the second book in the Jericho trilogy, will be available in paperback at that time. I’m real excited about Just Another Hero. It asks the questions, “What makes a hero? Who can be a hero? Can a girl be a hero? Can a villain be a hero? What does heroism look like in a modern American high school?

BBS: Your next release is Sassy. It looks like a middle grade novel. Do you enjoy writing one over the other when it comes to MG and YA? Why or why no preference?

SD: Sassy is geared to grades 3-4-5. Since I have the very successful books that feature young Black males in the six Ziggy books, I decided to focus on the younger girls in the Sassy books. Writer for a younger audience is fun, and a nice change of pace. Both audiences are demanding, however. They want books that engage them and capture their spirits.

BBS: When the fatigue sets in, the deadlines loom large what keeps you writing?

SD: I love this. Writing makes me happy. It’s not a job—it’s a passion. I’m very blessed. The words flow easily—sometimes faster than I can type them out. So I’m rarely tired of it, and I usually manage to make my deadlines. Well, most of the time!
I start with an idea, or a problem or a conflict, or even a situation that might be pertinent to the lives of young people, then the characters grow from that point. I try to make strong characters that change and develop and learn from their mistakes. I try to make characters so real that young people believe they are real people, and many do. I get letters from kids who ask for a character’s home phone number, or who are angry at me because of something that happened to one of the characters. It’s a thrilling, exciting process.

BBS: If you had one wish for young African American readers, what would it be?

SD: Read all the time. Read for pleasure and read for knowledge. Read to escape from problems and read to learn how to solve them. Read because you can. Our ancestors were beaten and even killed for daring to learn to read. Don’t let their sacrifice be for nothing. Honor them by reading all the time.

The Buzz on Draper’s Novels

“This action-packed, multifaceted, character-rich story describes the shocking realities of the slave trade and plantation life while portraying the perseverance, resourcefulness, and triumph of the human spirit” - School Library Journal on Copper Sun

” A High school basketball star struggles with guilt and depression following the drunk-driving accident that killed his best friend. Short chapters and alternating viewpoints provide “raw energy and intense emotion,” - Publisher’s Weekly on Tears of a Tiger

“The graduation scene, in which class president Keisha gives the closing speech, is moving and triumphant, showing Draper and her vibrant characters at their best” - Booklist on Darkness Before Dawn

Wow! What an honor to be on this list. Way cool.

South Fort Myers High School will celebrate the 20th Annual African American Read-
In. The event, which is the fourth at South Fort Myers High, is scheduled for 7:45 a.m.-
1:45 p.m. Monday, February 2nd in the school’s media center.

The African-American Read-In is sponsored annually by the National Council for
Teachers of English (NCTE) and has been endorsed by the International Reading
Association. Organizations around the country gather people together to listen to
material written by African-American writers.
This is the fourth year that South Fort Myers High has sponsored the event for the
student body. Throughout the day students will hear works written by such great writers
as Langston Hughes, Maya Angelou, Sharon Draper, Alice Walker, Alex Haley, Dr.
Martin Luther King, Jr. and many others.

You can't win them all!

http://beckyland.wordpress.com/2009/01/23/sharon-draper-interview

Click here for a really cool interview from a blogger who really knows how to do it!