Category Archives: American Sign Language

Book now for Summer Reading 2026!

American Sign Language, Resources for Teachers and Librarians, summer reading

The Collaborative Summer Reading Theme for 2026 is: Unearth a Story/Desentierra una Historia.

Stories by Hand has you covered with a high-energy, interactive program for multiple age groups:

I Dig American Sign Language. Book now for summer reading 2026! Let’s dig deep and learn basic American Sign Language for dinosaurs, diggers, and the things we love through stories, songs, and more! StoriesByHand.com/summerreading

I Dig American Sign Language

Let’s dig deep and learn basic American Sign Language for dinosaurs, diggers, and the things we love through stories, songs, and more! Presented by Kathy MacMillan, author of the Little Hands Signing series and Little Hands and Big Hands: Children and Adults Signing Together.

This program can be presented as an all-ages program or adapted to a baby, toddler, preschooler, or school-age audience.

Indoor, outdoor, and online programs available.

  • Single program (45 minutes): $500 plus travel expenses.
  • Additional same-day sessions: $400 plus travel expenses.

Book a program for Summer 2026 by February 1, 2026 and get 15% off the single program rate!

Maryland libraries: ask about FREE programming with Arts in Education grant funding!

Availability calendar

Complete booking details

Interested in a different program theme? Check out all program offerings here.

Register now for Serving Deaf Patrons in the Library

American Sign Language, eCourses and Webinars, Professional Development, Resources for Teachers and Librarians, Upcoming events, webinars

On the left, an illustration shows a white, blonde woman signing THANK-YOU in American Sign Language. On the right, a photo shows a white woman with glasses and light brown hair smiles into the camera. Text reads: Workshop: Serving Deaf Patrons in the Library with Kathy MacMillan. ALA Editions 2-part Webinar. Mon, Jan 26 & Wed Jan 28, 2026, 1:30-3 PM Central time. Register at tinyurl.com/servingdeaf

Serving Deaf Patrons in the Library

A two-part webinar series from ALA eLearning taking place on Monday, January 26 and Wednesday, January 28, 2026 at 2:30pm Eastern/1:30pm Central/12:30pm Mountain/11:30am Pacific.

Library services are for everyone, and that includes the Deaf community. In this workshop, Kathy MacMillan, librarian and certified American Sign Language interpreter, guides you in making your library a more welcoming place for patrons who are deaf or hard of hearing. You will gain an understanding of Deaf culture, learn library-related signs, and become prepared to confidently work with interpreters for your programs.

Find out more and register!

Read This!: MONSTER HANDS by Karen Kane, Jonaz McMillan, and Dion MBD

American Sign Language, ASL/Deaf Culture Book Reviews, Authors You Should Know, Read This, Recommended Reading, Reviews

Monster HandsMonster Hands by Karen Kane, Jonaz McMillan, and Dion MBD
Summary: When nighttime comes, Milo has a problem—he’s convinced there’s a monster under his bed! Luckily, his best friend Mel knows just what to do—scare the monster more than the monster scares you! So using shadow puppets on the wall, Mel and Milo make monster hands that roar, chomp and even laugh to scare the monster away. But uh oh! What if the monster thinks this is funny! This is NOT funny! Milo has an idea to show the monster who’s boss once and for all. Together Milo and Mel hatch a plan to scare the monster away forever. But in the end, they discover the true cure to a monster problem is a best friend who will stand and face it with you.

What do you do when there’s a scary monster under the bed? Scare it away, of course! Milo and his friend Mel communicate in American Sign Language from their neighboring windows, sharing ideas about what to do with that monster. This clever story features rhyming vocabulary in American Sign Language, and invites readers to sign along to scare that monster away. This book would be a terrific complement to interactive storytime classics like Ed Emberley’s Go Away, Big Green Monster! Check out the educator resource guide with more background information on the signs in the book here.

MONSTER HANDS is out now.

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