Melody

Melody Ellison can't wait to sing her first solo at church, and she wants to pick a song that's special. She gets advice from her big brother, who has his sights set on becoming a Motown star, and inspiration from her older sister, who's home from college with new ideas about marches and protests and making things fair. When Melody experiences discrimination for herself, she decides to stand up and speak out about civil rights, too. As her solo approaches, an unimaginable tragedy leaves her silent. Can Melody find her voice to speak up for those who can't?

Denise Lewis Patrick grew up in Natchitoches, Louisiana. Lots of relatives lived nearby, so there was always someone watching out for her and always someone to play with. Every week, Denise and her brother went to the library, where she would read and dream in the children's room overlooking a wonderful river. She wrote and illustrated her first book when she was ten--she glued yellow cloth to cardboard for the cover and sewed the pages together on her mom's sewing machine. Today, Denise lives in New Jersey, where she still loves to read, write, and make books.