Show Me a Sign - Ann Clare LeZotte

⭐ 9.0/10

(Originally written by Magdalene)

Mary lives on Martha's Vineyard, an island where about a quarter of the population is deaf and everyone can speak in sign language. She's always felt proud of who she is, but then a man comes to study the deafness on her island, and he is willing to do whatever it takes to figure it out.

This is a historical book when the genetic link to deafness wasn't figured out yet. I've never heard of this island before, but apparently it's a real place! It was really interesting to think about living in a place where deafness is so prevalent, and they make up their own version of sign language. Another big issue in the book is colonialism and racism, since they co-exist on the island with the Indigenous people, plus freed slaves, and not everybody agrees on what's fair. It's a Middle Grade book, and so could spark some really great conversations about ableism, colonialism, and Indigenous rights. Plus Mary is just a great character with a rich inner life.