Students in third through seventh grade gathered in Eliot Chapel this week for a very special guest speaker: author Sharon Draper. Draper is perhaps best known for her book Out of My Mind, a middle-grade novel about eleven-year-old Melody who is the smartest kid at her school even while no one knows it, because Melody has cerebral palsy.
Middle School Librarian Bethany Kavanaugh and Lower School Librarian Tom Buffington arranged to have Draper visit, and after Buffington got the students quiet and ready for the presentation, Kavanaugh introduced the writer to the audience.
I am so excited to have all of you here with me today for such a special occasion. When I was meeting with some of my librarian friends in our very secret librarian meeting (because obviously librarians have secret librarian meetings), I was so excited to share the news of our speaker today. Gasps went around the table and one of the librarians said, «If I could have any author come talk to my kids, she’s the one.» She’s a name known in every library and English classroom—Sharon Draper.
Ms. Draper is not only a distinguished author but also a passionate advocate for young readers and education. Her books, including the renowned Out of My Mind series, Blended, and Clubhouse Mysteries series, have captivated readers across generations. Out of My Mind was named one of TIME Magazine’s 100 Most Influential Books of All time, a testament to its profound impact and the powerful storytelling that has earned it a place in literary history.
Through her compelling narratives and deeply resonant character, Ms. Draper has opened doors to understanding, empathy, and resilience. Her writing often explores themes of courage, determination, and the triumph of the human spirit, earning her numerous accolades and awards. No, seriously, I could stand up here for the next twenty minutes talking about all of Ms. Draper’s awards. She’s that big of a deal.
Today, we are not just welcoming a brilliantly accomplished author; we are welcoming an advocate for the power of words and stories to change lives.
So, as we gather here today, let us open our minds, our hearts, and even our dreams to Ms. Draper’s words. Thank you, Ms. Draper, for joining us today and sharing your remarkable journey with us. We are so thrilled to have you here.
Draper, a former teacher, took the stage and the microphone, and immediately garnered enthusiastic applause. «I got you out of class!»
She spoke about her time as a teacher, how she kept a huge library of hundreds of books in her classroom for her students to read and enjoy. She followed up all that reading with writing assignments, because she knows from experience that reading a lot helps make one become a better writer.
Draper never set out to become a writer. She was a career teacher, busy raising her own children while educating classrooms of students each year. Then she saw information about a writing contest in a magazine and decided to write and enter a short story. «It took me a couple of hours,» she said. Then she typed it up, mailed it in, and forgot about it. «I had papers to grade and my own kids to take care of.» Then one day, she received a phone call and learned that she had won the contest. Her prize? Publication of her short story and $5,000, which came in handy since the transmission had just blown up in her car and the bill to fix it was just over $4,900. It was the first thing she had written, and winning that contest told her, «You are a writer.»
She continued to teach, and thought to herself that if she could teach it, she could write it. «I teach books,» she said. «I know what’s at the beginning, what’s at the middle, and what’s at the end. I teach character development.»
After the success of her short story, she was determined to tackle the arduous task of writing a book. She began her first novel, and when it was complete, she sent it off to 25 publishing companies. She explained to the students that back when she started writing, it wasn’t like uploading or emailing a manuscript today. She had to print copies, drive to the post office, and mail them in. She received 24 rejection letters over six months. Draper explained how hard it was to receive these rejections, both the nice ones and the not-so-nice ones. «I know I’m a good teacher and a good writer,» she thought. But it seemed like no one else did. The 25th letter was an acceptance from Simon & Schuster, which continues to publish her books today.
While that acceptance was exciting, it was just the beginning for the new author. «Once they say ‘yes,’ it’s not like the book is going to show up in the library,» she said. «You have to fix it and revise it. Eventually it came out.» Students started reading it and she began receiving fan mail. Then her book won an award, and suddenly it seemed that everyone in the publishing company knew who she was. She was stunned. She hadn’t even been aware that there were book awards.
Draper then spent a few minutes talking about Melody, the protagonist in Out of My Mind. She solicited a volunteer from the audience, and Scarlett Ahrenhoersterbaeumer ’32 gamely took the stage. Draper asked Scarlett a few easy questions. What’s 2+2? What’s 3+3? What’s 5+5? Scarlett, of course, easily answered every question. Then Draper instructed her to cross her legs and cross her hands on her lap. «You are glued to your chair. Your lips are sealed. Now, what’s your name?» Scarlett made an unintelligible noise. «Hmm, obviously she doesn’t even know her name! What’s 2+2?» Another noise, similar to the first. «She doesn’t know! Now, walk around the stage and demonstrate the latest dance move.» The students in the audience began to laugh. Scarlett sat in her chair, immobile. «What changed?» Draper asked the audience. «We took away her ability to walk and talk…and you laughed at her.» The audience fell completely silent. «Nobody understands. That’s Melody in Out of My Mind.» Draper explained that Melody’s story is about figuring out how to make it in a world full of people who can walk and talk, but who may not be as smart as she is. «She’s an unlikely heroine,» she said. «Life is very frustrating, but it becomes apparent she’s the smartest girl in the class.»
Draper dismissed Scarlett, who unfroze everything and stood up to cheers from her schoolmates before returning to her seat. The author then opened the floor to questions, answering rapid-fire and allowing lots of students to query. They learned that Draper has written about 40 other books, and that Out of My Mind has been made into a movie. When writing your own story, your character must have a challenge to overcome; otherwise, it’s a boring story. She doesn’t have a favorite book, just like she doesn’t have a favorite child. She has a special place to write, a little office in her house, and she enjoys vanilla ice cream while she’s writing. Authors do not choose the covers for their books; that’s handled by the publisher.
Before you send your draft to a publisher, you must review it carefully and make sure it’s perfect. «You know when you submit an essay in class and your teacher says, ‘Let’s do a second draft?’ My editor makes me do hundreds of revisions. Not commas and capital letters, but making sure the essence of chapter 12 fits with the essence of chapter 15. Sometimes, the revising part takes longer than the writing itself!»
She lives in Florida but is from Cincinnati, Ohio. Melody from Out of My Mind has three books, and Draper is not planning to write a fourth. It took about five years for her to publish her first book. Writers don’t choose a title and then write the story; they write the story and the title shows up later. She loved reading even as a child, and could walk to the library from her home. She read all the books in the children’s section and begged to be allowed into the adult section. The strict librarian was absent on Thursdays, so that’s when she could sneak into that section. She hasn’t counted how many awards her books have won because she doesn’t write for awards, she writes for herself. Same with money.
Authors always put themselves into the story. «If I want to write a story about a happy character, I might use incidents from my children. I was driving one of my children home from school, and her friends were giggling and talking, and my daughter said, ‘Don’t talk in front of my mother. She will put you in a book!'»
Her favorite genre is fiction. «I don’t have time for non-fiction. I watch the news for that.» She relates to her characters well because she was a teacher for so many years. «I taught 5,672 children. I taught smart kids, kids with issues, and kids with bad breath and body odors. I use bits and pieces from all my students. I pull from my experience working with young people.»
«How many of you can cook? How many can swim? If I jumped in a pool, I would die,» she laughed. «I don’t have the gift of cooking or swimming. I have the gift of writing. You have to find what your gift is. You find your gift, and you can go forward.»
«Do what’s easy for you and what makes you happy. Find what you’re interested in and what makes you happy, and you’ll be happy for the rest of your life. Don’t do it because someone said you should, but do what makes your heart happy.»
Finally, the time with Draper had to come to an end. «I have one bit of instruction for you: find a book and read it,» she said. «I don’t care what book it is. Find a book you like and read it. Do you know where the library is in this building? Where is it?» The students shouted in unison: «UPSTAIRS.» Draper continued. «Find the librarian; they know stuff. They are the smartest people in the world. They know everything. Use your teachers; use your librarian. Get yourself involved in a book, any book. READ.»
Applause filled the room and students were clearly inspired to continue reading and writing. Thank you, Sharon Draper, for spending time with us this week!