Show Me a Sign

Don't miss the companion book, Set Me Free

CRITICS ARE RAVING ABOUT SHOW ME A SIGN

Winner of the 2021 Schneider Family Book Award * NPR Best Books of 2020 * Kirkus Reviews Best Books of 2020 * School Library Journal Best Books of 2020 * New York Public Library Best Books of 2020 * Chicago Public Library Best Books of 2020 * 2020 Jane Addams Children's Book Award Finalist * 2020 New England Independent Booksellers Award Finalist

Deaf author Ann Clare LeZotte weaves a riveting story inspired by the true history of a thriving deaf community on Martha's Vineyard in the early 19th century. This piercing exploration of ableism, racism, and colonialism will inspire readers to examine core beliefs and question what is considered normal.

* A must-read. -- Kirkus Reviews, starred review

More than just a page-turner. Well researched and spare... sensitive... relevant. -- Newbery Medalist, Meg Medina for the New York Times

A triumph. -- Brian Selznick, creator of Wonderstruck and the Caldecott Award winner, The Invention of Hugo Cabret

* Will enthrall readers, but her internal journey...profound. -- The Horn Book, starred review

* Expertly crafted...exceptionally written. -- School Library Journal, starred review

* Engrossing. -- Publishers Weekly, starred review

This book blew me away. -- Alex Gino, Stonewall Award-winning author of George

Spend time in Mary's world. You'll be better for it. -- Erin Entrada Kelly, author of the Newbery Award Winner, Hello, Universe

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.

Author: Ann Clare Lezotte
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Published: 03/03/2020
Pages: 288
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 0.80lbs
Size: 8.30h x 5.70w x 1.20d
ISBN: 9781338255812
Audience: Ages 9-12

Accelerated Reader:
Reading Level: 5.1
Point Value: 7
Interest Level: Middle Grade
Quiz #/Name: 506689 / Show Me a Sign


Review Citation(s):
Kirkus Reviews 11/15/2019 pg. 212
Publishers Weekly 01/13/2020
Booklist 02/01/2020 pg. 46
Bulletin of Ctr for Child Bks 03/01/2020
School Library Journal 03/01/2020 pg. 105
Horn Book Magazine 09/01/2020 pg. 98
Hornbook Guide to Children 07/01/2020 - Outstanding, Noteworthy In Style

About the Author

Ann Clare LeZotte is the author of the Schneider Family Book Award-winning novel Show Me a Sign, which was named a best book of the year by NPR, Kirkus Reviews, School Library Journal, the New York Public Library, the Chicago Public Library and American Indians in Children's Literature, and was a finalist for the New England Independent Booksellers Association and the Jane Addams Children's Book Awards.

A passionate advocate for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, as well as underserved youth from marginalized communities, Ann worked for many years as a youth librarian in Gainesville, Florida. Ann says, During the pandemic, I've kept in touch with Deaf library youth at home with families who don't sign. The isolation is real -- there will be a long-lasting gap. It's getting harder to tell them all their dreams can come true. But continuing Mary Lambert's story, the darkness and the light, shows them that they're still counted in. In her free time, Ann enjoys yoga and walking her dog Perkins.