Cincinnati author Sharon Draper’s New York Times bestselling book is now a Disney movie.
Draper’s 2010 novel “Out of My Mind” follows 11-year-old Melody Brooks, an extremely smart student living with cerebral palsy. After feeling unchallenged in her school’s special education class, Melody blossoms when her teacher starts an inclusion program allowing her to participate in standard classes. A communication device allows her to talk for the first time ever, giving Melody the chance to speak up for herself and others.
The local author’s bestselling novel was adapted into the Disney movie “Out of My Mind,” which premiered at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival. The movie features Phoebe-Rae Taylor making her screen debut as Melody, who, similarly to her character, lives with cerebral palsy. Golden Globe Award-winning actor Jennifer Aniston is featured as the voice of Melody’s inner-thoughts.
Beginning her career as an educator, Draper carries a host of awards, including being named Ohio’s Outstanding High School Language Arts Educator and Ohio Teacher of the Year.
Her robust contributions to adolescent literature have been celebrated in a range of honors. In 2011, she received the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Assembly on Literature for Adolescents of the National Council of Teachers of English. She has been honored at the White House six times, her biography states, and was among only a few authors chosen to speak at the National Book Festival Gala in Washington, D.C.
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In addition to “Out of My Mind,” Draper has published award-winning books in a range of genres, including historical fiction, books for educators and young adult novels. Her 2006 historical fiction book “Copper Sun” was named one of the 100 Best YA Books of All Time by Time magazine in 2021.
Where to watch ‘Out of My Mind’
“Out of My Mind,” a Disney original movie based on the best-selling novel of the same name by Sharon Draper, premiered Nov. 22 on Disney+.
Watch the ‘Out of My Mind’ trailer
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