"There but for fortune, may go you or I" -- this story of Melody, a 5th-grade girl with severe CP who cannot walk or talk but is very intelligent, is gripping and sad. Technology allows her to better communicate and integrate into the "normal" world, but certain things will always be impossible. Though the book is told in Melody's voice, it does a good job showing how her family is affected as well, and how much parents have to fight and work on behalf of a special-needs child. A book that will make you count your blessings. 
 As a small side note, I wish there wasn't mention of things that will date the book, like MySpace and Wii. 
 Favorite quotes: 
 "And math. That might be hard for me. Words float easily into my head. But numbers seem to sink to the bottom like rocks. I don't know why...I discovered that if I make numbers into a picture story in my mind, the answers come easier. I changed the figures to words. Magic!" 
 See also - Stuck in Neutral, Petey, Rules