<P> Melody Brooks is an eleven - year - old girl who was born with Cerebral Palsy . Her parents have done everything they can to help her live a normal life , but life is often frustrating for Melody since she can not speak , move , or communicate her wishes . As a result , Melody has to fight to get her wishes . At age five , Melody is even diagnosed as profoundly retarded . Despite this , Melody 's mom enrolls her in Spaulding Street Elementary school to get the education she needs . However , the class she is put in is like a baby class , learning the same things every day . Melody is frustrated by this . Her neighbor , Mrs. V. , is a kind , but tough woman . She pushes Melody to do the best she can . When Melody was three , Mrs. V. was n't impressed for Melody to rely on her parents for everything . Because of this , Mrs. V. forced her to learn how to crawl and roll on the ground . She even taught Melody how to catch herself whenever she fell from her wheelchair . These things helped Melody become self - sufficient , but she continues to be reliant on her parents to help feed her and help her go to the bathroom . When Melody turns eight , her mother becomes pregnant . During this time , Melody overhears them talking about the new baby and their fears that it will suffer the same disabilities . Melody feels ashamed when she hears this . However , Melody is happy when the baby , Penny , is born perfectly healthy . Melody feels jealous as Penny grows and matures since she 'll never be able to do the things Penny can do . However , Melody loves her little sister , and the pleasures Melody brings to her parents . When Melody enters fifth grade , she gets a communication device that allows her to talk with other people . At school , her new teacher starts an inclusion program that allows the special needs students to participate in the standard classes . Melody also gets an aide , Catherine , to help her . Melody befriends Rose Spencer , but is bullied by Molly and Claire , who believe that Melody 's disability makes her dumber than them . Even her teacher , Mr. Dimming , believes that Melody can not participate , but is surprised that not only does Melody join , but passes a test exam of a trivia competition with a perfect score . When he tells his class that if Melody can ace it , he is giving way too easy questions , Melody works with Ms. V in order to win the real tryouts , which she does so with a perfect score . Melody then helps the team win the qualifying competition to earn a trip to Washington D.C. for the national competition . However , on the day the group is to fly to Washington , Melody learns that her flight has been canceled due to weather , but that the rest of the team has made an earlier flight without her . Melody insists the day after the fiasco on going to school , but her mom 's dismal attitude causes her to accidentally run over Penny despite Melody 's attempts to warn her mother . Melody blames herself for not being able to inform her mom , even though everyone , especially Mrs. V. , tells her it 's not her fault . Although Melody is terrified that Penny will have a brain injury like her and be like her , she learns that Penny is going to be okay , and just has a cast on her leg . On Monday , Melody 's class also apologizes for their lack of being considerate towards her by giving her their ninth place trophy , hoping to reconcile with her . However , Melody just laughs at them and destroys the trophy by accident and says `` no you take it '' and heads out of the room . The next day , she and Catherine begin work on Melody 's autobiography , which begins with the first few lines of the book . </P>
<P> Melody Brooks is an eleven - year - old girl who was born with Cerebral Palsy . Her parents have done everything they can to help her live a normal life , but life is often frustrating for Melody since she can not speak , move , or communicate her wishes . As a result , Melody has to fight to get her wishes . At age five , Melody is even diagnosed as profoundly retarded . Despite this , Melody 's mom enrolls her in Spaulding Street Elementary school to get the education she needs . However , the class she is put in is like a baby class , learning the same things every day . Melody is frustrated by this . Her neighbor , Mrs. V. , is a kind , but tough woman . She pushes Melody to do the best she can . When Melody was three , Mrs. V. was n't impressed for Melody to rely on her parents for everything . Because of this , Mrs. V. forced her to learn how to crawl and roll on the ground . She even taught Melody how to catch herself whenever she fell from her wheelchair . These things helped Melody become self - sufficient , but she continues to be reliant on her parents to help feed her and help her go to the bathroom . When Melody turns eight , her mother becomes pregnant . During this time , Melody overhears them talking about the new baby and their fears that it will suffer the same disabilities . Melody feels ashamed when she hears this . However , Melody is happy when the baby , Penny , is born perfectly healthy . Melody feels jealous as Penny grows and matures since she 'll never be able to do the things Penny can do . However , Melody loves her little sister , and the pleasures Melody brings to her parents . When Melody enters fifth grade , she gets a communication device that allows her to talk with other people . At school , her new teacher starts an inclusion program that allows the special needs students to participate in the standard classes . Melody also gets an aide , Catherine , to help her . Melody befriends Rose Spencer , but is bullied by Molly and Claire , who believe that Melody 's disability makes her dumber than them . Even her teacher , Mr. Dimming , believes that Melody can not participate , but is surprised that not only does Melody join , but passes a test exam of a trivia competition with a perfect score . When he tells his class that if Melody can ace it , he is giving way too easy questions , Melody works with Ms. V in order to win the real tryouts , which she does so with a perfect score . Melody then helps the team win the qualifying competition to earn a trip to Washington D.C. for the national competition . However , on the day the group is to fly to Washington , Melody learns that her flight has been canceled due to weather , but that the rest of the team has made an earlier flight without her . Melody insists the day after the fiasco on going to school , but her mom 's dismal attitude causes her to accidentally run over Penny despite Melody 's attempts to warn her mother . Melody blames herself for not being able to inform her mom , even though everyone , especially Mrs. V. , tells her it 's not her fault . Although Melody is terrified that Penny will have a brain injury like her and be like her , she learns that Penny is going to be okay , and just has a cast on her leg . On Monday , Melody 's class also apologizes for their lack of being considerate towards her by giving her their ninth place trophy , hoping to reconcile with her . However , Melody just laughs at them and destroys the trophy by accident and says `` no you take it '' and heads out of the room . The next day , she and Catherine begin work on Melody 's autobiography , which begins with the first few lines of the book . </P>
what grade is melody in out of my mind
what grade is melody in out of my mind
fifth grade
fifth grade