Out of My Dreams is the third installment in the highly acclaimed, middle-grade Out of My Mind series by Sharon M. Draper. The series follows Melody Brookes, a teenage girl with cerebral palsy who fights to communicate and make her voice heard; the second in the series is Out of My Heart. In this novel, Melody saves the life of an elderly neighbor and travels to London to meet other gifted and visionary children. Through Melody’s experiences, Draper explores themes related to heroism, imposter syndrome, and the interior lives of others.

Sharon M. Draper is an award-winning author based in Cincinnati, Ohio whose books have landed on the New York Times bestseller lists for over 10 years. Draper has personal insight into disability advocacy because her own daughter has a disability; however, she emphasizes in interviews that Melody’s character is not based on her daughter. Draper is also an experienced educator who has been recognized as the National Teacher of the Year, along with many other accolades for her educational contributions. She has also been honored at the White House six times and has published a wide variety of stories, articles, and poems. The first installment of the series, Out of My Mind, was recently adapted by Disney into a feature film.

This study guide refers to the 2024 eBook edition published by Atheneum Books.

Content Warning: Both the source text and this guide contain references to ableism.

Plot Summary

Out of My Dreams follows the journey of Melody Brooks, a 12-year-old girl with cerebral palsy. She cannot walk or talk and has limited control over her movements, but despite her physical challenges, Melody is highly intelligent and perceptive. She uses a wheelchair and a communication device named Elvira to express her thoughts.

As the novel opens, Melody observes the blue jays in her neighborhood, thinking of her neighbor and occasional aide, Mrs. V, who often feeds the birds. Melody then notices her standoffish, elderly neighbor, Miss Gertie, fall down on the way to the mailbox. When Miss Gertie fails to get up, Melody successfully uses Elvira to call 9-1-1, bringing life-saving care to Miss Gertie.

News of Melody’s heroic gesture spreads. Soon, she is trending online, and news stations begin calling to interview her. Melody and her family discover that Miss Gertie used to be a famous actress in Britain. Melody’s mother, father, and younger sister Penny accompany her to a TV interview alongside Miss Gertie, who reveals that she withdrew from life after losing her beloved husband. The news station surprises Melody by sponsoring a trip to London so that she can attend the I.D.E.A. conference, an international gathering of extraordinary young people. The station will also send Miss Gertie to London to reconnect with her family.

Mrs. V agrees to accompany Melody as her full-time aid. Miss Gertie brings along her grand-niece, Sky, whom Melody quickly befriends. Because Sky’s parents are in the foreign service, Sky moves around frequently and rarely has the chance to make lasting friends. Though Melody is intimidated by the travel, she successfully navigates the long flight with Mrs. V’s help. At the end of the flight, Melody’s wheelchair is damaged but Mrs. V finds a technician to repair it.

Melody joyfully explores London, following Miss Gertie to many of her favorite spots and tasting British food for the first time. Melody and Sky enjoy taking in sights like the London Eye, the British Museum, and the Globe Theater. Sky’s brother, Oliver, who interns at the Globe, gets them all tickets to a production. When one of the actresses is delayed at the last minute, Melody encourages Miss Gertie to step in and save the production. Miss Gertie steps onstage for the first time in many years and rediscovers her love of acting. Melody also befriends a helpful cabbie named Teddy, who helps transport her and her friends from place to place. Melody and Sky conspire to introduce Teddy to Miss Gertie, whom he has idolized since they attended the same university years ago.

Sky and Oliver’s parents surprise them all with tickets to see Melody’s favorite boy band, Double Trouble. Melody and Sky shop for new outfits and excitedly line up for the concert. When they reach the doors, Melody is turned away because the theater is not accessible. Ashamed and upset, Melody nonetheless encourages her friends to go to the concert without her. Sky and Oliver refuse; instead, they accompany Melody back to the hotel. In the elevator, they encounter Ian, one of the singers from Double Trouble, and explain the situation. He promises to make it right and invites them to a recording session to hear the band work on an unreleased new song.

As the conference approaches, Melody feels increasingly insecure, wondering what she could possibly contribute among such extraordinary young people. She feels better when she arrives and sees many other attendees with mobility aids, realizing that this is an environment where their voices are valued and respected. Melody befriends a girl named Bethany, who uses a wheelchair, and learns that others experience imposter syndrome too. Melody and Bethany attend an innovation session and brainstorm ideas to help the world. Melody imagines a device called the “Fast Blast,” a necklace that automatically calls 911 if the user is in distress or unresponsive and lets out a loud alarm sound to call for immediate assistance.

At the end of the conference, attendees are invited to share their innovations. Melody is intimidated about the idea of giving a speech, but she draws courage from her friends and delivers her speech in front of everyone, including the crown prince of England, speaking about the power of dreams.