Melody is a fifth-grade girl with severe cerebral palsy. She has never been able to speak—words come out as guttural sounds. Although Melody’s parents can’t always understand her, they do recognize her intelligence. To almost everyone else, including the kids and most teachers at her school, she is essentially invisible. The smart, funny girl she is can finally emerge from silence when Melody acquires an electronic voice, allowing her to program words and “speak” for herself. Determined to prove what she can do, Melody tries out for her school quiz bowl team and aces the exam. Her inclusion on the team is met with skepticism by some, but others welcome her, including a girl who becomes her first school friend. Still, things are far from perfect; she faces prejudice, hurdles, and heartbreak that even words can’t overcome, along with a heart-rending moment in which she needs her “voice” at a time when she doesn’t have access to it. But Melody’s world opens up. More important, the world opens up to her in Sharon M. Draper’s profoundly affecting novel. Told in Melody’s first-person voice, the story relates details of family and school life from Melody’s memorable, eye-opening perspective. (Ages 10–13)

This special movie tie-in edition showcases a new cover with an image from the original movie now available on Disney+!

A New York Times bestseller for three years and counting!
“Unflinching and realistic.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

From award-winning author Sharon Draper comes a “gutsy, candid, and compelling” (School Library Journal, starred review) story that will forever change how we all look at anyone with a disability, perfect for fans of RJ Palacio’s Wonder.

Eleven-year-old Melody is not like most people. She can’t walk. She can’t talk. She can’t write. All because she has cerebral palsy. But she also has a photographic memory; she can remember every detail of everything she has ever experienced. She’s the smartest kid in her whole school, but NO ONE knows it. Most people—her teachers, her doctors, her classmates—dismiss her as mentally challenged because she can’t tell them otherwise. But Melody refuses to be defined by her disability. And she’s determined to let everyone know it…somehow.