Halfway to Green Glades, Melody decides she cannot attend camp like she thought she could and thinks about signaling her parents in the front seat to turn around and take her home. The week Melody spends at her summer camp becomes a test of her courage. She is only 12 years old, and she has spent her entire life surrounded by the attentive, loving care of her supportive family. Because of her cerebral palsy, virtually every action she has executed, from eating to doing her homework, selecting her outfits to taking a bath—has been done with that support team. In her fear, she thinks, “Every single day since I was born, somebody has fed me and bathed me and read to me and helped me do every single detail of my life” (17), and she doubts how this will take place at camp away from her family. As she studies the Green Glades website, she asks herself a question that sets the tone for Melody’s story: When is it time for me to be independent?

The activities at camp are not games for Melody. The night before each activity she struggles to fall asleep thinking about the next day and the challenges it will bring.