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Ann Clare LeZotte
Deer Run Home
Illustrator:
* "Quietly extraordinary." -Kirkus Reviews, starred review
* "Elegantly weaves a heartbreaking story with hope." -School Library Journal, starred review
"Through Effie, young readers both deaf and hearing will encounter a heartfelt homecoming story, and reassurance that they are not alone." -The New York Times
Effie and her older sister, Deja, have recently moved into their father's trailer after an incident at their mom's house. Daddy communicates with Effie by pointing, stomping on the floor, and making thoughtless jokes. Even if they did understand each other, could she tell the terrible secret she carries when telling feels impossible-and dangerous?
But what if telling is the only way to be seen?
This tender, spare, emotionally charged story about the impact of abuse and the power of love explores what it feels like to be an outsider in your own family and to awaken-through friendship, writing, and kinship with the natural world-to a new understanding and appreciation of yourself.
Show Me a Sign Series
Show Me a Sign
Illustrator:
* "A must-read." -- Kirkus Reviews, starred review
"More than just a page-turner. Well researched and spare... sensitive... relevant." -- Newbery Medalist, Meg Medina for the New York Times
"A triumph." -- Brian Selznick, creator of Wonderstruck and the Caldecott Award winner, The Invention of Hugo Cabret
* "Will enthrall readers, but her internal journey...profound." -- The Horn Book, starred review
* "Expertly crafted...exceptionally written." -- School Library Journal, starred review
* "Engrossing." -- Publishers Weekly, starred review
"This book blew me away." -- Alex Gino, Stonewall Award-winning author of George
"Spend time in Mary's world. You'll be better for it." -- Erin Entrada Kelly, author of the Newbery Award Winner, Hello, Universe
Mary Lambert has always felt safe and protected on her beloved island of Martha's Vineyard. Her great-great-grandfather was an early English settler and the first deaf islander. Now, over a hundred years later, many people there -- including Mary -- are deaf, and nearly everyone can communicate in sign language. Mary has never felt isolated. She is proud of her lineage.
But recent events have delivered winds of change. Mary's brother died, leaving her family shattered. Tensions over land disputes are mounting between English settlers and the Wampanoag people. And a cunning young scientist has arrived, hoping to discover the origin of the island's prevalent deafness. His maniacal drive to find answers soon renders Mary a "live specimen" in a cruel experiment. Her struggle to save herself is at the core of this penetrating and poignant novel that probes our perceptions of ability and disability.
Show Me a Sign Series
Set Me Free
Illustrator:
Three years after being kidnapped as a "live specimen" in a cruel experiment to determine the cause of her deafness, Mary Lambert has grown weary of domestic life on Martha's Vineyard, and even of her once beloved writing. So when an old acquaintance summons her to an isolated manor house outside Boston to teach a young deaf girl to communicate, Mary agrees. But can a child of eight with no prior language be taught? And is Mary up to the task? With newfound purpose, Mary arrives only to discover that there is much more to the girl's story--and the circumstances of her confinement--than she ever could have imagined. Suddenly, teaching her and freeing her from the prison of her isolation, takes on much greater meaning, and peril. Riveting and complex, delicately nuanced and fervently feminist, Set Me Free is a masterful stand-alone companion to Show Me a Sign, and a searing exposé of ableism, racism, and colonialism that will challenge you to think differently about the dignity and capacity within every human being.
Show Me a Sign Series
Sail Me Away Home
Illustrator:
"Thrilling, important, and profoundly moving. A true gift." -- Brian Selznick, creator of the New York Times bestsellers Big Tree and The Invention of Hugo Cabret, winner of the Caldecott Medal
As a young teacher on Martha's Vineyard, Mary Lambert feels restless and adrift. So when a league of missionaries invite her to travel abroad, she knows it's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Paris is home to a pioneering deaf school where she could meet its visionary instructors Jean Massieu and Laurent Clerc--and bring back their methods to America!
But the endeavor comes at a cost: The missionaries' plan to "save" deaf children is questionable at best--and requires Mary's support. What's more, the missionaries' work threatens the Wampanoag and other Native peoples' freedom and safety. Is pursuing Mary's own goals worth the price of betraying her friends and her own values?
So begins a feverish and fraught adventure. Brimming with vivid detail and startling insight, Sail Me Away Home will enrich your understanding of the d/Deaf experience as it celebrates d/Deaf history, culture, and community.