Words & Pictures with Sharon Draper, Presented by Pittsburgh Arts & Lectures

Melody, the huge-hearted heroine of Out of My Mind, is a year older, and a year braver. And now with her Medi-talker communication device, she feels nothing’s out of her reach, not even summer camp. There have to be camps for kids with disabilities like her, and she’s going to sleuth one out. A place where she can trek through a forest, fly on a zip line, and even ride on a horse! A place where maybe she really can finally make a real friend, make her own decisions, and even do things on her own! By the light of flickering campfires and the power of thunderstorms, through the terror of unexpected creatures in cabins and the first sparkle of a crush, Melody’s about to discover how brave and strong she really is.

Sharon M. Draper is a three-time New York Times bestselling author and a recipient of the Margaret A. Edwards Award honoring her significant and lasting contribution to writing for teens. She has received the Coretta Scott King Award for both Copper Sun and Forged by Fire, and was awarded the Charlotte Huck Award for Stella by Starlight. Out of My Mind won multiple awards and is a New York Times bestseller along with her novel Blended. A high school English for twenty-five years, Sharon was named National Teacher of the Year and has been honored at the White House six times!