Saturday, February 17, 2007

239 (and counting) Adolescent Literature Books with Deaf Characters

I add titles to this list as I find them. Please note that this is NOT a comprehensive list of books with Deaf Characters. I have included books that I consider "contemporary". I usually do not include books that are out-of-print or unavailable.
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Reading Recommendations are based on the reading level and the content of the story. As ALWAYS, please read through the books to make sure that they are the right match for your students or young adults before directly handing them to the reader.
***************************************************************************** Juvenile (early chapter books- some with illustrations)
Middle (chapter books)
Teen to Crossover (adult book content with young adult characters)
Graphic Novels & Comics
~ before the author's name = author interviewed on this blog
To Purchase books, click on this link. *****************************************************************************
  1. Juan Miguel Aguilera & art by Rafael Fonteriz SAF Comics Avatar Book 1: A Look into the Abyss (2003)-- Manuel Gomez is a new breed of detective in the high-tech world of cyber-crime. He is born a "deaf mute" and communicates with special glasses.
  2. Joan Aiken Dangerous Games (1999).
  3. ~Jean F. Andrews (Flying Fingers Series) The Flying Fingers Club (1988)
  4. ~Jean F. Andrews (Flying Fingers Series) Secret in the Dorm Attic (1990)
  5. ~Jean F. Andrews (Flying Fingers Series) Hasta Luego, San Diego (1991)
  6. ~Jean F. Andrews (Flying Fingers Series) The Ghost of Tomahawk Creek (1993)
  7. ~Jean F. Andrews (Flying Fingers Series) Mystery of the Totems (2001)
  8. V.C. Andrews Girl in the Shadows (2006)
  9. V.C. Andrews Melody (1996)
  10. Jennifer Armstrong Mary Mehan Awake (1998)
  11. Madelyn Arnold Bird-Eyes (1988)
  12. Isaac Asimov, Charles G. Waugh, Martin H. Greenberg (Editors) The Mammoth Book of Golden Age SF: Ten Classic Stories from the Birth of Modern Science Fiction Writing (2007)
  13. Ben M. Baglio Doggy Dare (2000)
  14. Alan Balter Different Ways of Being (November 2015)
  15. Eleanor Poe Barlow The Master's Cat: The Story of Charles Dickens As Told by His Cat (1998)
  16. Josh Berk The Dark Days of Hamburger Halpin (2010)
  17. Batman Beyond (2002)--deaf villain Shriek, who uses sound as his weapon, is wreaking havoc on Gotham City
  18. Maeve Binchy Whitethorn Woods (2007)
  19. Claire H. Blatchford All Alone (Except for My Dog Friday) (1983)
  20. Claire H. Blatchford Nick's Mission (1995)
  21. Claire H. Blatchford Nick's Secret (2000)
  22. ~T.C. Boyle Talk Talk (2006)
  23. Christina Bridges Hero (1982)
  24. Darryl Brock Havana Heat: A Novel (2000)
  25. ~Teri Brown Read My Lips (June 2008)- oral deaf character
  26. Rachel Brown Buy a Watch, Get a Wife! (2006)
  27. ~C.F. Brunner Isles of View (2006)
  28. Eve Bunting A Sudden Silence (Reissue edition, April 2007)
  29. ~Meg Burden Northlander (Tales of the Borderlands) (2007)
  30. ~Meg Burden The King Commands (Tales of the Borderlands) (2010)
  31. Nancy Butts Cheshire Moon (1996)
  32. Raewyn Caisley The Quiet World (1996)
  33. Charles L. Calia The Unspeakable : A Novel (1999)
  34. Keelin Carey, Kristina Guevremont, & Nicole March Princess, a Tiger, and Other Deaf Tales (2006)
  35. Cathryn Carroll and Harlan Lane Clerc: The Story of His Early Years (2002)
  36. Mary Carter  My Sister's Voice (May 2010)
  37. C.C. Chambers The Guardian of Time (2003)
  38. Kate Chester Death in the Afternoon (Hear No Evil, No. 1) (1996)
  39. Kate Chester A Time of Fear (Hear No Evil , No. 3) (1996)
  40. Kate Chester Dead and Buried (Hear No Evil , No. 4) (1996)
  41. Kate Chester Sudden Death (Hear No Evil) (1997)
  42. Kate Chester Hear No Evil (Hear No Evil , No. 5) (1997)
  43. Kate Chester Playing With Fire (Hear No Evil , No. 6) (1997)
  44. Kate Chester Missing (Hear No Evil , No. 2) (1999)
  45. Matt Christopher Football Fugitive (1998)
  46. Sharon Creech Love That Dog (2001)-- main character is a CODA
  47. Sharon Creech Hate That Cat (2008)- main character is a CODA
  48. A.C. Crispin & Kathleen O'Malley Silent Dances (Starbridge Book 2) (1990)
  49. A.C. Crispin & Kathleen O’Malley Silent Songs (Starbridge, Book 2) (1994)
  50. ~Anne Colledge Falling Into Fear (2004)
  51. ~Anne Colledge Northern Lights (2001)
  52. Clarissa Conrad Never the Same Again (1995)
  53. Greg Cook Hear-Say (2003?)--follows a deaf gentleman through a day in his life. The character uses an ear trumpet.
  54. Stephen Cosgrove Harmony: Song of the Sea Trilogy Book 1 (1989)
  55. Stephen Cosgrove Laughter Ring: Song of the Sea Trilogy Book 2 (1990)
  56. Stephen Cosgrove Sharing: Song of the Sea Trilogy Book 3 (1991)
  57. ~Stephen J. Cutler and Jodi Cutler Del Dottore Rally Caps (2007)
  58. Carla Damron Keeping Silent: A Caleb Knowles Mystery (2001)
  59. Carla Damron Spider Blue (2005)
  60. Jeffrey Deaver A Maiden's Grave (reprinted 2001)
  61. Rick S. Decker Ricky's Adventures (2009)
  62. Colin Dexter The Silent World of Nicholas Quinn (1997)
  63. Frances O'Roark Dowell Dovey Coe (2000)
  64. James Casey Gillies The Legend of Five Great Deaf Ghost Stories (2003)
  65. ~D.S. Elstad  The Forest of Aisling (The Willow Series Book 1) (December 2013)
  66. Forrest Erickson The Silent Zone (2000)
  67. Erin Falligant Joss (Book 1) (2019)
  68. Erin Falligant Joss: Touch the Sky (Book 2) (2019)
  69. Paul Fattaruso Travel in the Mouth of the Wolf (2004)
  70. Jody Feldman The Gollywhopper Games (2008)-- secondary hard of hearing character who wears hearing aids
  71. Elizabeth Fensham The Invisible Hero (2011)
  72. ~Jean Ferris Of Sound Mind (2001)
  73. Sarah Flanigan Alice (1991)
  74. Emily Franklin At Face Value (2008)--CODA character Linus teaches main character Cyrie sign language
  75. Paul Fleischman Graven Images: Three Stories (reissued 2006)
  76. Whitney Gardner You're Welcome, Universe (2017; paperback March 2018)
  77. ~Alex Gino You Don't Know Everything, Jilly P! (September 2018)
  78. Janet Graber Resistance (2005)
  79. Jane Grace Until I'm Safe (2015)
  80. Janice Graham The Tailor's Daughter (2006)
  81. ~Janice Greene Read My Lips (2005)
  82. Peni R. Griffin Switching Well (1994)
  83. Leslie Davis Guccione Tell Me How the Wind Sounds (1992)
  84. Ruth Hallman Breakaway (1983)
  85. Emily Hanlon The Swing (1979; reprinted 2000)
  86. ~Christine Harris Mask of the Jackal (2008)
  87. Marc Heyez Smelly Hearing Aids and Fishy Lips: a Deaf teenager's journal (2017)
  88. Lorraine Hunter Hare Make Room for the Hollyhocks/Where the Birds Don't Sing (1999)
  89. Jo Harper Deaf Smith: Scout, Spy, and Texas Hero (1996)
  90. Jennylyn Hart Jenny's Journey (2007)
  91. J.A. Henderson Bunker 10 (2007)
  92. Lilo Hess The Good Luck Dog (1985)
  93. Kief Hillsbery War Boy (2001)
  94. Karen Hirsch Becky (1981)
  95. ~Lois L. Hodge Season of Change (1987)
  96. Candri Hodges When I Grow Up (1994)
  97. Kevin Hoffman The Fifth Vertex (The Sigilord Chronicles) (August 2014)
  98. Colleen Hoover  Maybe Someday (March 2014)
  99.  Shelley Hrdlitschka Kat's Fall (2004)
  100. Marsha Hubler Teamwork at Camp Tioga (2005)
  101. Marsha Hubler Summer Camp Adventures (2009)
  102. Angela Elwell Hunt The Deadly Chase (1996)
  103. Frances Itani Deafening: A Novel (2003)
  104. Joshilyn Jackson Between, Georgia (2006)
  105. Dale J. Jellison, Silence in the Wild: A Summer in Maine (2014)
  106. Antony John Five Flavors of Dumb (November 2010)
  107. Sherryl Jordan The Raging Quiet (2000)
  108. Karen Kane, Charlie and Frog (2018) 
  109. Karen Kane, Charlie and Frog: The Boney Hand (2019) 
  110. Chrissie Keighery Whisper (2011)
  111. ~Clint Kelly Echo (2007)
  112. Paul Kercal Dr Sylver and the Library of Everything (2004)
  113. Paul Kercal Dr Sylver and the Repository of the Past (2006)
  114. M. E. Kerr Gentlehands (reprinted 1990)
  115. Patrick Kilgallon Gather the Weeds (2006)
  116. Mary King Stolen Shadows (2001)
  117. ~Linda Kurtz Kingsley Signs of Jays (October 2008)
  118. Kate Klise Regarding the Bees: A Lesson, in Letters, on Honey, Dating, and Other Sticky Subjects (2007)
  119. ~Steve Kluger My Most Excellent Year (March 2008)
  120. Lucille R. Kraiman Thanks A Lot (1995)
  121. Blair LaCrosse, Michelle LaCrosse Silent Ears, Silent Heart: A Deaf Man's Journey Through Two Worlds (2003)
  122. Betty Sullivan La Pierre The Silent Scream (2001)
  123. Elizabeth Laird & Pauline Hazelwood Graffix: The Listener (1997)
  124. Anna Levene My Friend is Deaf (My Friend Series) (2003)
  125. Nancy Simpson Levene Crocodile Meatloaf (1993)
  126. Nancy Smiler Levinson Annie’s World (1990)
  127. Nancy Smiler Levinson World of her Own (1981)
  128. Elizabeth Levy Invisible Inc. Hello Reader #1 The Schoolyard Mystery (1994)
  129. Elizabeth Levy Invisible Inc. Hello Reader #2 The Mystery Of The Missing Dog (1995)
  130. Elizabeth Levy Invisible Inc. Hello Reader #3 The Snack Attack Mystery (1996)
  131. Elizabeth Levy Invisible Inc. Hello Reader #4 The Creepy Computer Mystery(1996)
  132. Elizabeth Levy Invisible Inc. Hello Reader #5 The Karate Class Mystery (1996)
  133. Elizabeth Levy Invisible Inc. Hello Reader #6 Parents' Night Fright (1998)
  134. ~Ann Clare LeZotte T4 (September 2008)
  135. Bret Lott The Hunt Club: A Novel (2005)
  136. Arthur Luhn In the Name of Silence (2003)
  137. Deborah Lytton Silence (March 2015)
  138. ~Dandi Daley Mackall Love Rules (2005)
  139. ~Dandi Daley Mackall & Terry Brown Please Reply (2005)
  140. Ann Martin Jessi's Secret Language (The Babysitter's Club #16) (reprinted 1996)
  141. ~J.G. Martinson Deception's Full Circle (2007)
  142. ~Marvel Comics (Maya Lopez aka Echo, Ronin) Daredevil Vol. 11 #9-15; 51, 53, 54, and 55; The New Avengers #30-39--Biracial, Multilingual woman who was born deaf and communicates through sign language (both American Sign Language and Native American Indian Sign Language) and lipreading.
  143. Marvel Comics (Clint Barton aka Hawkeye, Ronin, Goliath): (as Hawkeye) Tales of Suspense #57 (1964); (as Goliath) Avengers #63 (1969); (as Ronin) New Avengers #27 (2007)-- He was once 80% deaf due to an injury, but his hearing was restored during his rebirth on Frankling Richards' Counter-Earth.
  144. Graham Masterton Unspeakable (2005)
  145. Marlee Matlin Deaf Child Crossing (2002)
  146. ~Marlee Matlin & Doug Cooney Nobody's Perfect (2006)
  147. ~Marlee Matlin & Doug Cooney Leading Ladies (2007)
  148. Tom McCarthy Tintin and the Secret of Literature (2007)
  149. ~Emily Arnold McCully My Heart Glow (2008)
  150. ~Megan McDonald Changes for Julie (American Girls Collection) (2007)
  151. Lynn E. McElfresh Can You Feel the Thunder (1999)
  152. ~Lynn E. McElfresh Strong Deaf (2012)
  153. ~Sarah Miller Miss Spitfire: Reaching Helen Keller (2007)
  154. Michael Milone Return of the Lion People (2010)  
  155. Marissa Moss Amelia Lends a Hand (2002)
  156. An Na Wait for Me (2006)
  157. Donna Jo Napoli Friends Everywhere (1999)
  158. John Neufeld Gaps in Stone Walls (1998)
  159. Charles O’Brien Mute Witness (2001)
  160. Charles O’Brien Black Gold (2002)
  161. Nicole O'Dell The Wishing Pearl (Diamond Estates #1) (2011)
  162. Karla Oceanak Dumbstruck (October 2011)
  163. ~Cecily Anne Paterson Being Jazmine (July 2017)
  164. ~Cecily Anne Paterson Invincible (Invisible Book 2) (November 2014)
  165. ~Cecily Anne Paterson Invisible (2009/ Kindle version January 2014)
  166.  Deb Piper From A to Zulinski (May 2008)- third book in series
  167. Deb Piper Jake's the Name, Sixth Grade's the Game (1996)
  168. Deb Piper Those Sevy Blues (2001)-- sequel to Jake's the Name
  169. Stevie Platt Go to the Hill (2002)
  170. Ron Podmore A Sign to Remember (2002)
  171. Penny Pollock Keeping It Secret (1986)
  172. Patrick J. Quinn Matthew Pinkowski's Special Summer(1991)
  173. Patrick J. Quinn Signs Of Spring (1995)
  174. Martin Peter Quigley Original Colored House of David (1987)
  175. Nina Raine Tribes (October 2011) 
  176. Winona Rasheed Broken Voices (2010)
  177. ~Delia Ray Singing Hands (2006)
  178. N.L.Ray There Was This Man Running (1981)
  179. Bill Richardson After Hamelin (2000)
  180. Mary Riskind Apple Is My Sign (reprinted 1993)
  181. ~Eleanor Robins Just Be Yourself (Carter High Chronicles Senior Year) (2005)
  182. B Roman The Secrets of the Moon Singer (2012)
  183. B Roman The Secrets of the Moon Singer 2: The War Chamber (December 2012)
  184. Anna Romer Thornwood House (2013)
  185. ~Ginny Rorby Hurt Go Happy (2006)
  186. Olivia Rivers Tone Deaf (2013)
  187. Lillian Rosen Just Like Everybody Else (1981)
  188. ~Paul Rowe The Silent Time (2007)
  189. ~Elyse Salpeter Flying to the Fire (August 2014)
  190.  ~Elyse Salpeter, Flying to the Light (November 2011)
  191.  ~ Esty Schachter Waiting for a Sign (November 2014)
  192. D.R. Schanker A Criminal Appeal (2000)
  193. Laura Amy Schlitz A Drowned Maiden's Hair: A Melodrama (2006)
  194. Kathrin Schrocke Freak City (2014)
  195. Keith Scribner Miracle Girl (2003)
  196. Virginia M. Scott Balancing Act (1997)
  197. Virginia M. Scott Belonging (1999)
  198. Virginia M. Scott Finding Abby (2000)
  199. Brian Selznick Wonderstruck A Novel in Words and Pictures (September 2011)
  200. Barbara Seuling, Robert and the Happy Endings (2007)
  201. Vikram Seth An Equal Music: A Novel (2000)
  202. Susan Shreve The Gift of the Girl Who Couldn't Hear (1993)
  203. Heather Simonsen Sugar House Hill (2004)
  204. Jody Sorenson The Secret Letters of Mama Cat (1988)
  205. James Smith The Boys of San Joaquin (2005)
  206. James Smith Probably The World's Best Story about a Dog and the Girl Who Loved Me (2006)
  207. Lauraine Snelling (2006) A Promise for Ellie (Daughters of Blessing #1)
  208. Lauraine Snelling (2007) Sophie's Dilemma (Daughters of Blessing #2)
  209. Lauraine Snelling (March 2008) A Touch of Grace (Daughters of Blessing #3)
  210. Barbara Luetke Stahlman Hannie (1996)
  211. ~Rachel Stolzman The Sign for Drowning (June 2008)
  212. Richard A. Steel Touchdown (2000) 
  213. Jody Studdard, Silence In Center (2014)
  214. Nick Sturley, Milan (2006)
  215. J. H. Sweet Firefly and the Quest of the Black Squirrel (The Fairy Chronicles) (2007)
  216. Bonnie Highsmith Taylor The Best Sign (1999)
  217. Theodore Taylor Tuck Triumphant (1992)
  218. Victoria Thompson Murder on Lenox Hill (2005)
  219. Victoria Thompson Murder on St. Mark's Place (2000)
  220. Jean Ure Muddy Four Paws (1999)
  221. Augusta Waite Two Boys Go Fishing (1999)
  222. ~Penny Warner (Connor Westphal Mystery) Dead Body Language (1997)
  223. ~Penny Warner (Connor Westphal Mystery) Sign of Foul Play (1997)
  224. ~Penny Warner (Connor Westphal Mystery) Right to Remain Silent (1998)
  225. ~Penny Warner (Connor Westphal Mystery) Quiet Undertaking (2000)
  226. ~Penny Warner (Connor Westphal Mystery) Blind Side: A Connor Westphal Mystery (2001)
  227. ~Penny Warner (Connor Westphal Mystery) Silence Is Golden: A Connor Westphal Mystery (2003)
  228. ~Penny Warner (Connor Westphal Mystery) Dead Man's Hand (2007)
  229. T.J. Waters Secret Signs (November 2010)
  230. Elizabeth Webster Johnnie Alone (1986)
  231. Jennifer Weiner Certain Girls: A Novel (2009)
  232. ~Nadia Wheatley Listening to Mondrian (2007)
  233. Sarah Willis The Sound of Us (2006)
  234. M. A. Windsor, Margaret Windsor Pretty Saro (1986)
  235. ~Jacqueline Woodson Feathers (2007)
  236. Elizabeth Yates, Gloria Repp Hue and Cry (1991)
  237. Elizabeth Yates Sound Friendships: The Story of Willa and Her Hearing Dog (1992)
  238. Linda Yeatman, Hugh Casson Buttons: The Dog Who Was More Than a Friend (1988)
  239. Joy Zelonky, Barbara Bejna, Shirlee Jensen I Can't Always Hear You (1980)
To Purchase books, click on this link.

13 comments:

Alicia said...

WOW!!! I'm a deaf education student (hearing student, studying deaf education) at Lenoir Rhyne College in Hickory, NC. I'm in an adolescent literature class and this list of books amazes me. Thank you so much for posting it! I'll be back to check it out every so often.

Anonymous said...

That is great to have a list.
I have a book to add if I may -

Hurt Go Happy by Ginny Rorby, 2006

Thanks for you list

Angela Wallenius

Sharon Pajka,Ph.D. said...

Thanks Angela, Rorby's book is actually listed above. Also, see my June 23rd interview with her.

Anonymous said...

I just want to say BRAVO to you and this work that you are doing. I look forward to getting some of the books for my daughter! Thank you for posting your valuable information!

Sharon Pajka,Ph.D. said...

Thanks Lipstick:)

Anonymous said...

Sweet, thanks for sharing this list with us! I only wish I could figure out which books to start reading with (choose the teen to crossover category). Just a question, when you speak of deaf characters, do you only focus on main characters that are deaf or include supporting characters that don't appear that often? I mainly want to read books that have deaf characters as the main character (or one of the main characters).

Thanks again!

Sharon Pajka,Ph.D. said...

Rini, the majority of the books include Deaf Characters who are main characters, strong seconday characters, or the storyline revolves around the Deaf Character. I seldom add books where the Deaf Character is insignificant.
The author interviews and reviews throughout the blog may help you select books based on your own interests. If you want to ask me about any books in particular, feel free to email me.

janeyolen said...

Years and years ago, I had a middle grade novel published about a deaf girl and a mermaid called THE MERMAID'S THREE WISDOMS. Yes, it's long out of print, but one could probably get copies at ABE or on E-bay.

Jane Yolen

Nadene said...

Hi Sharon,

Is Ruby Lu, Empress of Everything by Lenore Look (2006) on this list?

I probably skimmed right by it.

Nadene

. said...

It would be great if you could also mark the ones that are written by deaf writers...

Katie Anderson said...

Can I also suggest "The Raging Quiet" (2004) by Sherryl Jordan?

Unknown said...

My book "Inheritance" has a Deaf Hero who is a "Mimic" (sort of shapeshifter) by the name of Echo. The book has reached top 100 on Amazon in three different countries.

Leigh Ann said...

Apparently my friend waited until now to share this blog with me, when I have been working for more than two years on a Ranked list of deaf characters in fiction (https://modcast.blog/2022/03/23/ranked-deaf-characters-in-fiction/) and just finished my thesis analyzing representations of deaf characters in Marvel comics (https://drive.google.com/file/d/11e2JHXqVEpVYhJlWx3k_1PJbUrLBshMN/view?usp=sharing).

This could have saved me so much time!! Ahhh. But I do see a few titles that on the list that I missed. Thanks so much for putting this together!