Out of My Mind: Chapters 1–5

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 6742 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. flail
    thrash about
    Her body tends to move on its own agenda, with feet sometimes kicking out unexpectedly and arms occasionally flailing, connecting with whatever is close by—a stack of CDs, a bowl of soup, a vase of roses.
  2. partial
    having a strong preference or liking for
    Dad is partial to jazz, and every chance he gets, he winks at me, takes out Mom's Mozart disc, then pops in a CD of Miles Davis or Woody Herman.
  3. cardinal
    crested North American songbird having bright red plumage
    “That red one is a cardinal,” he’d tell me, and “that one over there is a blue jay. They don’t like each other much.”
  4. recall
    summon knowledge from memory
    These kids could remember complicated strands of numbers and recall words and pictures in correct sequence and quote long passages of poetry.
  5. seizure
    a sudden attack characterized by spasms or convulsions
    I sometimes can’t breathe real well when this happens, but I have to because I need to screech and scream and jerk. They’re not seizures. Those are medical and make you go to sleep.
  6. sedative
    a drug that reduces excitability and calms a person
    When we got home, she called the doctor and told him about my crazy behavior. He sent a prescription for a sedative, but Mom didn’t give it to me.
  7. evaluation
    the act of ascertaining or judging the quality of
    My mom and the doctor had no idea why I was smiling as we rolled into the waiting room while he wrote up his evaluation of me.
  8. limitation
    the quality of being restricted
    It takes time to accept the limitations of a beloved child.
  9. diagnosis
    identifying the nature or cause of some phenomenon
    “But a person is so much more than the name of a diagnosis on a chart!”
  10. residential
    of or relating to the act of dwelling in a place
    “You can also decide to put Melody in a residential facility where she can be cared for and kept comfortable.”
  11. brochure
    a small booklet with information about a product or service
    He pulled out a colorful brochure with a smiling child in a wheelchair on the cover and handed it to Mom.
  12. insensitive
    not noticing or caring about the feelings or needs of others
    “I think you’re cold and insensitive. I hope you never have a child with difficulties — you'd probably put it out with your trash!”
  13. faculty
    an inherent cognitive or perceptual power of the mind
    All of us who have all our faculties intact are just plain blessed.
  14. intact
    lacking nothing essential, not damaged
    All of us who have all our faculties intact are just plain blessed.
  15. therapist
    a person skilled in a particular type of care
    When we do what the teachers and therapists call “group” activities, it’s hard for Ashley to participate.
Created on Sun May 22 13:35:19 EDT 2016 (updated Fri Aug 01 15:59:03 EDT 2025)

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