Tag Archives: Sign Language

Elem. – Signs of Friendship

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Silvestro, Annie. Signs of Friendship. Illustrated by Ziyue Chen. A Paula Wiseman Book, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2025. 978-1-665-94169-3.$19.99. Unpaged.Grades K-3.

As this brightly colored and cheerful picture book illustrates, blonde, deaf Sonia and brown, bespectacled Sally have been lifelong friends. Sonia likes art; Sally likes reading; together they share a cozy clubhouse and even start a garden with flowers and vegetables. Sally has learned to sign to communicate with her best friend. Enter Dev, a brown boy with a rambunctious puppy named Pops. Sonia and Dev become quick friends, so Sally feels left out and lonely. When Pops ruins the garden, Sally cannot contain her anger. Dev apologizes and, privately, Sonia reconciles with Sally and reassures her that they are still best friends and that Dev needs friends, too. Dev suggests the garden by named, Friendship Garden. The endnotes contain cameos of often-used words in signing. This pleasant, yet simple story, enhanced by the inclusion of sign language, is a good read aloud and a worthwhile addition to collections needing books that highlight disabilities. 

THOUGHTS: What brings this picture book up a notch is the inclusion of sign language. Without it, the story is the trope of a new person invading the tight friendship of an established pair. I don’t know if this would have been possible, but I think it would have been helpful to have the cameos as inserts on the pages where the characters convey the word.  Teachers can use this book to incorporate sign language in some often used signals (like bathroom), to start conversations about feeling left out and belonging, to role-play how to deal with anger and disappointment, or to reinforce cooperation by starting a garden. 

Picture Book
Realistic Fiction 

MG – We Built This City

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Patrick, Cat. We Built This City. Nancy Paulsen Books, 2024. 978-0-593-46216-4. $17.99. 259 p. Grades 5-8.

Stevie is FINALLY able to go on her performance group’s cross-country tour. Twenty-six teenagers all get to travel across the US lip-syncing and performing their choreographed dance moves. What makes it even better is that she gets to go with her brother, best friend, and her crush. Join Stevie and the crew in what is sure to be a roller coaster of a summer.

THOUGHTS: This book did such a phenomenal job highlighting the awkwardness of having your first crush and trying to get them to notice you, capturing the time period (1980’s) and showing teen and tween readers what it is like to build friendships. This novel also does a great job of portraying what it is like to live with a life-long illness, in this case Epilepsy, and what it can look like to find confidence in yourself.

Historical Fiction
Realistic Fiction

Elem. – Everyday Sign Language (Series NF)

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Davis, Bela. Everyday Sign Language, Set 2. ABDO Publishing, 2023. $21.95 each, $131.70 for set of 6. Grades PreK-2.

Sign Language & Animals. 978-1-09-826405-5.
Sign Language & Body Parts. 978-1-09-826406-2.
Sign Language & Clothing. 978-1-09-826407-9.
Sign Language & Numbers. 978-1-09-826408-6.
Sign Language & Shapes. 978-1-09-826409-3.
Sign Language & Vehicles. 978-1-09-826410-9.

Everyday Sign Language, Set 2 is a continuation of the first Every Day Sign Language set that covers the topics of colors, emotions, family, food, school activities, and the alphabet. Set 2 expands on the knowledge of how to use facial expressions and body movement to learn American Sign Language (ASL). Set 2 dives into the topics of animals, body parts, clothing, numbers, shapes, and vehicles. This reviewer read the title Sign Language & Body Parts. This book explains to young readers how to sign for different body parts. Complete with a sentence utilizing the body part, the book breaks down into simple steps how to sign the body part mentioned. A fun read for young learners on how to sign the most popular body parts.

THOUGHTS: This series is a great expansion of the first set of Sign Language Books. As a reviewer, I would recommend utilizing the first set, specifically Sign Language & The Alphabet (2022, 978-1-09-820704-5, $21.95) before using the next series. Many sign explanations require basic knowledge of the alphabet to explain how to sign something else.

419 Sign Languages

Elem./MG – Set Me Free

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LaZotte, Ann Clare. Set Me Free.  Scholastic Press, 2021. 978-1-338-74249-7  $18.99. 288 p. Grades 4-6.

Mary Lambert, a deaf girl living on Martha’s Vineyard in the late 1700’s, went through an unimaginable and traumatic ordeal when she was kidnapped years ago to be studied to determine the reason for her deafness. Settled back into her life on the Vineyard, Mary is longing for a more meaningful life. When a friend from years ago sends Mary a letter asking for her assistance helping a young deaf girl to learn to communicate, Mary is hesitant but excited for this new opportunity. However, when Mary arrives on the mainland to teach the girl, she finds that her new charge is imprisoned in the attic and treated horribly! Mary must muster up the courage and support to help free this girl from her circumstances. 

THOUGHTS: For those that loved Show Me a Sign, this is a must purchase. I did not love this installment as much as the first, but the history behind this time period is fascinating. Mary is truly a feminist and has no problem sharing her beliefs. She is a wonderful female literary icon.

Historical Fiction          Krista Fitzpatrick, Abington SD

Mary Lambert, the deaf heroine from the fascinating early 1800’s island community of Martha’s Vineyard in Show Me A Sign, returns in this historical fiction book that is also rich with mystery and intrigue. Mary is eager to find her way in life and become a teacher, following in the footsteps of her own beloved teacher Mrs. Pye, but she is restless in her home community and feels as though she might have a calling in the wider world. Then, she receives a letter from Nora, a friend who helped her escape captors in her previous adventure, and decides to travel to Boston and help a young deaf girl who needs help learning to communicate through sign language. When she arrives, she finds the girl living in terribly cruel conditions and vows to help her not only learn to communicate, but also to return to her rightful family. With the help of friends both old and new, Mary bravely stands up for the rights of her young charge and demonstrates her conviction that people of all abilities deserve respect, dignity and opportunity in life.

THOUGHTS: This book is a wonderful testament to people with diverse abilities overcoming obstacles, especially those who deal with discrimination based on race, disability, gender, or for any other reason. Fans of Helen Keller’s story will also love this tale of a relationship that develops between a brave teacher and her bright but misunderstood student.

Historical Fiction          Erin Faulkner, Cumberland Valley SD

MG – Show Me a Sign

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LeZotte, Ann Clare. Show Me a Sign. Scholastic Press, 2020. 269 p.  978-1-338-25581-2. $ 18.99. Grades 4-7.

Part Historical Fiction and part Thriller, this story is set in 1805 Martha’s Vineyard and follows 11 year old Mary. Mary is one of the many deaf inhabitants of Martha’s Vineyard who descended from a small town in England. This genetic abnormality passes over some, yet inflicts others. However, life on the island is normal for the deaf and hearing alike. Most inhabitants speak their own form of island sign language as well as English. Life is normal until a young scientist from Boston comes to the island to study this abnormality. In trying to uncover the cause of deafness, Andrew captures Mary as his specimen and absconds with her to mainland Boston. Tortured by her captor, and realizing that she is different for the first time, Mary must find a way to escape and return to her family. Follow Mary as she escapes with the help of some Vineyard friends and finds her way home to her family and friends. The afterword includes a short history of deafness on Martha’s Vineyard, Sign Language, and the Wampanoag Tribe.

THOUGHTS: Such an interesting and unforgettable story that is rooted in history. LeZotte is deaf herself and does a fantastic job of bringing you into the world of Mary.

Historical Fiction          Krista Fitzpatrick, Waldron Mercy Academy

Tags: Deafness, Kidnapping, Sign Language