Best Book on Deafness to Give a Hearing Child?
Wednesday September 17, 2008
What book on deafness would you give a hearing child today to help them learn about deafness? For my generation, it was the old book, "Lisa and Her Soundless World," published in 1974. Today, "Lisa" is terribly outdated. The main character wore body aids, communicated orally, and at the end of the story started to fingerspell her name at a birthday party (If I remember correctly. The last time I read "Lisa" I was a child). What is "the" book on deafness for today's generation of hearing children?
Comments
Depending on the age of the young person, two good books that I highly recommend are “Deaf Again”, by Mark Drolsbaugh and “Tarnished Halos and Crooked Fences”, by Dennis Jones, Jr. Both are well written stories and easily understood. They show not only the emotional side of dealing with deafness, but offer a unique look from a hearing perspective as well, since both of the authors were what we would consider hard of hearing at young ages, and they have a good insight from the hearing perspective.
*smile* RALLY CAPS, a book with a strong deaf character who wears a cochlear implant…for kids ages 9-12 - It has the message that I would like hearing children who meet my deaf child to receive: Nothing is Impossible…got that from Curtis Pride.
(Guide note: This person is the author of the book)
I once read a Batman book (yes, I’m a nerd) that involved a deaf boy.
He had been deafened during a fight Batman had with a villain named Shriek (who also became deafened in the fight).
It’s a short book, but I enjoyed it.
I was really surprised that Batman actually knew some ASL….he really is the smartest man in the world!