Show Me a Sign

Show Me a Sign by Ann Clare LeZotte has been on my to-read list for awhile since it won the Schneider Family book award. Here is the descriptino from the book jacket: "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."

This was such a great book! It engaged me right away, and I was able to finish it super quickly because I was anxious to see how things turned out. I liked the characters, the special community and culture where Mary lives, the adventure in the story, etc. I took ASL in high school, so I also enjoyed reading a book since I have a background in sign language. The author of the book is also deaf, which is cool. This was a great read, and I just saw a sequel just came out so I excitedly put it on hold at the library.

Rating: * * * (3/3 = Loved it)