School Library Journal Review
Gr 4-6-Melody is an intelligent 11-year-old girl with a photographic memory and cerebral palsy. She can't walk or talk, but she is hungry to learn and eager for language to express herself. Draper has crafted a likable protagonist with typical tween thoughts and emotions-Melody dreams that she will be the first chosen for school projects and games-all of which are compounded by the difficulties of living with cerebral palsy. Her patience and persistence are inspiring traits that will encourage and affirm the efforts of her readers. Sisi Aisha Johnson has created a charming Melody and successfully voices the girl's parents, teachers, and doctors. VERDICT This is a recommended purchase for all school and public libraries. ["Kids will benefit from being introduced to Melody and her gutsy, candid, and compelling story": SLJ 3/10 review of the S. & S. Atheneum book.]-Mary Lee Bulat, Harwinton Public Library, CT © Copyright 2016. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
This long-overdue audio narration of Draper's 2010 middle grade novel is a breakout performance for voice actress Johnson, who skillfully brings together childlike sensitivity and grown-up gravitas as she gives life to Draper's character Melody Brooks. Confined to a wheelchair, Melody is physically trapped by cerebral palsy, but the condition hasn't slowed her prodigious mind; Melody is a genius, as her parents have always suspected and her fifth-grade classmates and teachers are about to find out. Johnson captures Melody's frustration when she cannot communicate, her elation when technological advances finally allow her to, and her sadness when others still regard her with fear or suspicion. Johnson also voices the novel's other characters with wisdom and compassion, including Melody's parents and the tough-as-nails neighbor who pushes the girl to excel. Older children and their parents will enjoy the way Johnson brings life to this unforgettable character. Ages 10-up. An Atheneum paperback. (Aug.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.