Sunday, April 29, 2007

New Books

Joyce Dunbar, Moonbird (March 2007) Written by a Deaf author, Orla is the deaf child of the kind and queen. The magical Moonbird teaches Orla how to speak with his hands and listen with his eyes.
*************************************
Andrea Stenn Stryer, Bert Dodson (Illustrator), Kami and the Yaks (April 2007) When a Sherpa family discovers that their yaks are missing, Kami, a spunky deaf child, sets off to find the wandering herd.

*********************************
The Canadian Cultural Society of the Deaf, The Smart Princess and Other Deaf Tales (2006) is a 50-page book with short chapters suitable for younger adolescents and/or reluctant readers. The stories include: "The Smart Princess" a story about a deaf princess who will one day become queen, and how she deals with her aunt who refuses to communicate through sign language; "Earth 2" is a story about deaf astronauts who arrive on another planet where the hearing people are "disabled"; "My Life Changed" a story that includes an adolescent girl who begins attending the Newfoundland School for the Deaf after being teased about her deafness; "My Tiger" is a story that includes a young girl using her imagination; and, "Best Friends" is a story that teaches readers that everyone can find new ways to communicate and build friendships.
*******************************************
Lenore Look, Anne Wilsdork, Ruby Lu, Empress of Everything (2006)
The story is about second grader Ruby Lu when she befriends her deaf cousin, Flying Duck. Ruby Lu believes that the great thing about Flying Duck and her family emigrating from China to live with her family is that life is exciting and new; yet, everything is different! The house is filled with new foods that seem strange. Also, Flying Duck is deaf, and Ruby Lu doesn't know any Chinese Sign Language! Readers learn how she manages squeezing in all of the new responsibilities that come with a larger family into her schedule that is already packed with swimming lessons, the Plum Club and summer school.
*******************************************
Marlee Matlin & Doug Cooney, Nobody's Perfect (2006) This is a companion to Deaf Child Crossing (2002). Main character, Megan, is thrown when a new girl, Alexis, ignores her gestures of friendship. Alexis Powell is pretty, smart, and a great soccer player, and 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.
**********************************************
Delia Ray, Singing Hands (2006)Gussie Davis is the hearing daughter of deaf parents in 1948 Birmingham, AL. She is a rebellious teen who sings out loud during the church for the deaf where her father ministers. Gussie becomes involved in missionary efforts at a black deaf church and with the Alabama School for the Deaf. Gussie comes to terms with being "the" hearing child of deaf parents.

****************************************

Ginny Rorby, Hurt Go Happy (2006) 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.

**********************************

Janice Graham, The Tailor's Daughter (2006) 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. When a fever leaves her deaf at the age of sixteen, she must prove herself by making a name for herself.

Book with Deaf characters Honored by ALA


The American Library Association honored Pete Seeger, Paul DuBois Jacobs, and R. Gregory Christie for embodying "the artistic expression of the disability experience" in a book called The Deaf Musicians (2006).


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.

The book demonstrates the power of music and overcoming obstacles. The two most prestigious awards for American children's books include the Newbery Medal the Caldecott Medal. For more information, visit http://www.ala.org/

Sunday, April 15, 2007

PBS Documentary 'Through Deaf Eyes'

THROUGH DEAF EYES is a documentary that explores 200 years of Deaf life in America.

Similar to my interests of how deaf characters have been treated and portrayed throughout literature, this documentary shows how deaf people have been portrayed in society.


Douglas Baynton, Jack R. Gannon, and Jean Lindquist Bergey, Through Deaf Eyes: A Photographic History of an American Community (April 2007)
This book tells the story of Deaf America and includes such topics as education, employment, and family life of Deaf people. The book is the companion to the PBS 2-hr documentary that will air this month. PBS will have a comprehensive website which will accompany the film.

Visit Your Local Library!


National Library Week "Come together @ your library"

National Library Week is a time to celebrate the contributions of our nation's libraries, librarians and library workers and to promote library use and support.
http://www.folda.net/nlsd/news.htm
April 15 - 21, 2007

National Literary Society of the Deaf Becomes a Center for the Book Reading Promotion Partner read article

National Literary Society of the Deaf
FOLDA (Friends of Libraries for Deaf Action) will have a booth at the 2007 Annual American Library Association (ALA) conference, June 21 – 27, 2007, in Washington, D.C. The purpose to encourage the nation’s libraries, specifically public libraries, to help carry out the mission of NLSD (the National Literary Society of the Deaf) in promoting deaf culture, books and literacy through programs and exhibits.