Adolescent Literature with Deaf Characters

(author interviews & insider tips)

Cheshire Moon (1996) by Nancy Butts

early middle school-- mystical story)

13-year-old Miranda expects an unfulfilling summer at her aunt's house in Maine. The plot turns mystical when the teens start having identical dreams about a mysterious island. If they're only dreams, why do the teens wake to sand and shells in their beds?

Apple Is My Sign (reprinted 1993) , Mary Riskind

Ten-year-old Harry (who uses the sign name Apple) returns to his parents' apple farm for the holidays after his first term at a school for the deaf in Philadelphia.

middle school

Jean F. Andrews (Flying Fingers Series) The Ghost of Tomahawk Creek (1993)(Early middle school)

Join main characters Donald, Matt and Susan for a delightfully scary story in this Flying Fingers Club sequel.

T4 (September2008)by Ann Clare LeZotte

It is 1939. Paula Becker, thirteen years old and deaf, lives

with her family in a rural German town. As rumors swirl of disabled children quietly disappearing, a priest comes to her family's door with an offer to shield Paula from an uncertain fate. When the sanctuary he offers is fleeting, Paula needs to call upon all her strength

to stay one step ahead of the Nazis.

*Told in Verse (112 pages)Reading Level: 4th gradeCharacter communicates through Sign Language

Miss Spitfire: Reaching Helen Keller (2007) by Sarah MillerPub. Date: July 28, 2007Age Range: 10 to 12Hardcover: 240ppPublisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing

This book offers an alternative approach to the story of Helen Keller. Readers experience the life of Annie Sullivan and Helen Keller through journals written by Annie Sullivan. Readers learn about Sullivan's abusive father, her relationship with her "invalid" brother, and her experiences teaching Helen Keller.

New Books for TeensOf Sound Mind, (2001) Jean Ferris

Ferris introduces readers to Theo, a member of an all-deaf family. While Theo has the typical struggles of any high-school senior, he also has a father with health problems, a demanding, high-strung mother, and a significant role as caretaker and interpreter. Theo’s new friend and crush adores her deaf father and helps Theo learn how to cope with his unique family situation while not blaming “everything” on deafness. Ferris has published several adolescent literature books including those with diverse characters.

SPOTLIGHT on CHARACTERSOf Sound Mind, (2001) Jean Ferris

Deaf Characters Ben Roper, Ph.D.

Penn State Employee, Model Airplanes, Single Parent

Jeremy Self-Confident, attends “special classes” at mainstream school

Thomas Carpenter, attended Gallaudet, doesn’t trust

Hearing People Palma

Deaf of Deaf, attended Gallaudet, famous artist

Books for Younger AdolescentsNobody's Perfect (2006)By Marlee Matlin & Doug Cooney Megan is thrown when a new girl, Alexis, ignores

her gestures of friendship. Alexis is pretty, smart, and a great soccer player, but she seems intent on ignoring Megan. Alexis behaves strangely around people with disabilities which is related to her having an autistic brother. Megan, whose family and friends accept her deafness as part of their everyday lives, is shocked by this.

Other Books in the Series

Nobody's Perfect (2006)By Marlee Matlin & Doug Cooney

Made into a Bilingual Musical

(View Website)

http://artsedge.kennedy-center.org/nobodysperfect/

Tami Lee Santimyer with Marlee Matlin

Singing Hands (2006) by Delia Ray

Gussie Davis is the hearing daughter of deaf parents in 1948. She is a rebellious teen who sings out loud during the church for the deaf where herfather ministers. Gussie becomes involved inmissionary efforts at a black deaf church andwith the Alabama School for the Deaf.

Singing Hands (2006) by Delia Ray

based on the author’s family...

her grandfather was a Deaf preacher and a leading pioneer in the Deaf community.

New Books for Teensfeaturing a ‘signing’ animal

Hurt Go Happy (2006) By Ginny Rorby

Though she’s been deaf since the age of six, Joey’s mother has never allowed her to learn sign language. She strains to read the lips of those around her, but often fails. Everything changes when Joey meets Dr. Charles Mansell. She secretly learns sign language and her life has never been happier.

Finding Abby, (2000) Virginia ScottTeen Read

Scott introduces readers to Abby who is in a coma after a tragic accident. Within pages Abby dies and readers, through the help of her sister Paige, attempt to understand the last days of Abby’s life before her death. Through Abby’s diary entries and Paige’s’ interviews with friends, school peers and professionals in the fields associated with deafness readers discover the truth about Abby’s deafness and death.

The Tailor's Daughter (2006)By Janice GrahamTeen read/ historic realism

Graham tells the story of Veda, a passionate young woman raised in London. She has inherited her father’s talent, his sense of style, and his love of tailoring. Veda becomes deaf at the age of sixteen and must prove to others that she is talented by making a name for herself.

Read My Lips (June 2008) by Teri Brown

Sarcastic, skater chick Serena moves to a new school and mixes with the über popular crowd when they discover her special talent for reading lips. They feel that they have a new secret weapon to snoop out all the gossip in the school.

Reading Level: TeenMainstreamed & Empowered

Northlander (Tales of the Borderlands) (2007) by Meg BurdenReading Age: 12 and older

Ellin is a young girl with distinctive hair that indicates that she is clearly from the Southlands. When she goes to assist her father in healing the Northland king, she faces prejudice. While there, she meets members of the king's family, the princes of the Northlands including Finn

Feathers (2007) by Jacqueline Woodson

When a new student arrives at her

school, Frannie’s classmates tell the

boy that he doesn’t belong on their side

of the highway and that he needs to go to

the white side… but the boy says that he

isn’t white?!?!When her classmates bully

him and mock sign language (since the

new boy has yet to respond), the boy

uses sign language to say “No, I’m not

deaf” (p.14) ?!?!

Deaf character Sean is funny and smart… he is also the FIRST African-American Deaf character who uses Sign Language

Deaf Characters in ComicsEcho (Daredevil & New Avengers)

David Mack’s character Maya Lopez, also known as Echo and Ronin, debuted in Daredevil as a love interest for Matt Murdock. This character now appears in the arc of the most recent issues of The New Avengers.

(Biracial, Multilingual, Empowered)

Echo (Daredevil & New Avengers)

The Secret Invasion is here!

Have the Skrulls infiltrated the Avengers?

Is Maya Lopez the only one with proof?

Will she live to tell the tale?

All this and a major Avengers hook up!

RALLY CAPS (2007) by J. Cutler Stephen and Cutler Del Dottore Jodi Reading level: Ages 9-12Paperback: 87 pagesPublisher: PublishAmerica (2007)

A story about two boys who love baseball and who become friends through their experiences at summer camp. One of the main characters is deaf and uses a cochlear implant.

New Books for Young Readers

Moonbird (March 2007) Deaf author Joyce Dunbar tells the story of Orla, the deaf

child of the kind and queen. The magical Moonbird teaches Orla how to speak with his hands and listen with his eyes.

Kami and the Yaks (April 2007) Andrea Stenn Stryer & Bert Dodson (Illustrator)

When a Sherpa family discovers that their yaks are missing, Kami, a spunky deaf child, sets off to find the wandering herd.

The Deaf Musicians (2006), byPete Seeger, Paul DuBois Jacobs, and R. Gregory Christie Picture Book

The main character Lee is a jazzman who plays piano. His bandleader lets him go when Lee loses his hearing. He attends a school for the deaf to learn sign language where he meets Max, who plays the saxophone. While discussing their musical interests, a bass player named Rose joins in and they soon make-up a band and begin performing for audiences in the subway.

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*Includes over 194 titles – 35 books from 2007-2009

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