Melody Ellison
Detroit, MI – 1964
Melody is a nine-year-old girl living in Detroit in 1964, at the height of both the Motown sound and the Civil Rights Movement. Every member of her family is involved with music in some way, so it makes sense that Melody, named for music, is also a singer. She sings in her church choir, and learns how to use her voice to stand up for what she believes in. Though she cares deeply about fairness, Melody doesn’t always feel like a leader, and she often wrestles with how someone so young can make a difference. The news of injustices against African Americans weigh heavily on her and her family. But the Ellisons are brave, and they continue to take action, big and small, to fight against the injustices that Black people face across America.
Books
Many of Melody’s books start with the following message:
When Melody’s story takes place, the terms “Negro,” “colored,” and “black” were all used to describe Americans of African descent. You’ll see all of those words used in this book.
Today, “Negro” and “colored” can be offensive because they are associated with racial inequality. The term “African American” is a more contemporary term, but it wasn’t commonly used until the late 1980s.
Central Series
- No Ordinary Sound: A Melody Classic Volume 1
- Never Stop Singing: A Melody Classic Volume 2
Mysteries
- The Lady’s Slipper
More Information
Melody was released in 2016, during the BeForever era. Therefore, her original books have BeForever subtitles. In addition, they released a special choose-your-own-adventure book, Music in My Heart: My Journey with Melody.
When BeForever ended in 2019, they repackaged the stories into two new books of the same title and story, but dropped the BeForever subtitle: No Ordinary Sound and Never Stop Singing.
For more details about Melody’s books, or see additional versions of books, please see the Official Fandom Page for Melody’s books.