Out of My Mind: Chapters 6–11

by Sharon M. Draper
Born with cerebral palsy, Melody has difficulty communicating with others — but in spite of the obstacles she faces, Melody is determined to prove how smart she really is.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–5, Chapters 6–11, Chapters 12–18, Chapters 19–25, Chapters 26–33
15 words 2584 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. authority
    freedom from doubt; belief in yourself and your abilities
    “All kids are special,” Mrs. V had replied with authority.
  2. sheepish
    showing a sense of shame
    My dad looked sheepish.
  3. potential
    the inherent capacity for coming into being
    “We want her to reach her highest potential,” Dad added.
  4. glitch
    a failure to work normally
    I have magic thumbs, by the way. They work perfectly. The rest of my body is sort of like a coat with the buttons done up in the wrong holes. But my thumbs came out with no flaws, no glitches.
  5. tersely
    in a short and concise manner
    She took one look at the situation and said tersely, “Call her mother.”
  6. uproar
    a state of commotion and noise and confusion
    “We just can’t get her to stop screaming. She’s got the whole class in an uproar.”
  7. retain
    keep in one's mind
    These children need constant review because they don’t retain information like the rest of us.
  8. tentative
    hesitant or lacking confidence; unsettled in mind or opinion
    So Butterscotch barked — first a couple of tentative yips, then louder and more urgent.
  9. waver
    pause or hold back in uncertainty or unwillingness
    During Mom’s entire pregnancy, however, my parents’ attention to me never wavered, even though, yeah, I worried that it would.
  10. cue
    a stimulus that provides information about what to do
    She sat up exactly when infants are supposed to, rolled over right on schedule, and crawled on cue.
  11. paparazzo
    a freelance photographer who pursues celebrities
    Dad and his camcorder followed Penny around like the paparazzi follow a rock star!
  12. matinee
    a theatrical performance held during the daytime
    “There’s a new Superman movie coming out soon,” she reads as she shakes the newspaper flat. “Maybe we can go catch a matinee.”
  13. drawl
    a slow speech pattern with prolonged vowels
    Mrs. Shannon is pudgy, wears lavender body lotion every single day, and I think she must be from the South because she talks with a real strong drawl.
  14. inclusion
    the state of being made a part of something
    “Before I continue with the lesson, let’s make this a real inclusion experience. Perhaps our friends from room H-5 would like to sit with the rest of us instead of being stuck in the back.”
  15. outcast
    a person who is rejected (from society or home)
    But ever since, every Wednesday, our little class of outcasts gets to join Mrs. Lovelace’s music class.
Created on Sun May 22 13:46:33 EDT 2016 (updated Fri Aug 01 16:16:32 EDT 2025)

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