Category Archives: American Sign Language

NITA’S FIRST SIGNS Named 2018 Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Awards Finalist

April 3, 2019American Sign Language, Awards, board books, Little Hands Signing series, Nita's First Signskathymacmillan

Nita’s First Signs has been recognized as a finalist in the 21st annual Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Awards, in the Picture Book, Early Reader category!

As part of its mission to discover, review, and share the best books from university and independent publishers, Foreword Magazine, Inc. hosts an annual awards program each year. Finalists represent the best books published in 2018. After more than 2,000 individual titles spread across 56 genres were submitted for consideration, the list of finalists was determined by Foreword’s editorial team. Winners will be decided by an expert team of booksellers and librarians—representing Foreword’s readership—from across the country.

The complete list of finalists can be found at: https://www.forewordreviews.com/awards/finalists/2018/

Winners in each genre—along with Editor’s Choice Prize winners and Foreword’s INDIE Publisher of the Year—will be announced June 14, 2019.

Founded in 1998, Foreword Magazine, Inc. is the only media company completely devoted to independent publishing. Publishers of a Folio: award-winning bimonthly print review journal, special interest products, and daily online content feeds, Foreword exclusively covers university and independent (non “Big 5”) publishers, the books they publish, and their authors. Foreword is based in Traverse City, Michigan, with staff based worldwide.

Reading with Your Kids Podcast featuring NITA’S FIRST SIGNS

July 30, 2018American Sign Language, Interviews, Little Hands Signing series, Nita's First Signskathymacmillan

I was delighted to be interviewed by Jedlie for his podcast, Reading with Your Kids. We discussed the benefits of signing with all children, the power of bilingualism, and how Nita’s First Signs came to be.

Click here to listen to a recording of the podcast.

Click here to read a transcript.

Library Signs Resources

June 2, 2017American Sign Language, Professional Development, Resources for Teachers and Librarians, videoskathymacmillan

Want to learn some simple signs you can use to make serving Deaf patrons more successful? Check out these resources!

Practice Videos by Kathy MacMillan on YouTube
Manners Signs
Library Signs 1
Library Signs 2
Library Signs 3

Library Signs Quiz Video

Library Signs Quiz Video Answer Sheet

Handouts to go with Practice Videos:
Library Signs (Vocabulary – Video 2)

Library Signs (Sentences – Videos 1 and 3)

An Epic Event for an Epic Book

January 30, 2016American Sign Language, Sword and Versedeaf camps, inc., kate bradley-ferrall, l.v. pireskathymacmillan

Kathy MacMillan perches on a ledge looking over the dining room where gala guests sit. — The celebration gets underway!

There is not a word in the language of the gods to describe how grateful I am to everyone who came to last night’s Sword and Verse Gala to benefit Deaf Camps, Inc. I got to celebrate the launch of my debut novel with my favorite people from all the different spheres of my life, and I got to highlight an organization that is dear to my heart and make a contribution to the Deaf Camps, Inc. scholarship fund.

Learn more about Deaf Camps, Inc. at www.deafcampsinc.org. — Learn more about Deaf Camps, Inc. at http://www.deafcampsinc.org.

Sword and Verse is all about language and communication, and how detrimental limiting access to language is. That’s why I am especially pleased that my launch event was able to highlight and support Deaf Camps, Inc., a volunteer-run non-profit organization dedicated to providing fun, safe, communication-rich camps that promote the physical, spiritual, and social development of Deaf/hard of hearing children and children learning American Sign Language. I have been involved with Deaf Camps, Inc. for fifteen years, and never have I met a more dedicated and passionate group of people.

Kathy MacMillan stands in front of a mantelpiece speaking into a microphone while a woman beside her interprets in American Sign Language. — Sharing the inspirations behind SWORD AND VERSE.

Inkpot and quill centerpieces featuring lines from Raisa's heart-verse. — Inkpot and quill centerpieces featuring lines from Raisa’s heart-verse.

The author hard at work signing guests' copies of SWORD AND VERSE. — The author hard at work signing guests’ copies of SWORD AND VERSE.

I was so excited to share this evening with members of my critique group, authors Kate Bradley-Ferrall and L.V. Pires.

Thank you to the board and volunteers of Deaf Camps, Inc, who worked hard to pull this event off; to Elaine Benson and Joanne Westerman, who provided interpreting services for the evening; to the staff of Grey Rock Mansion and Simply Elegant Catering, who hosted us in style, and to the many donors who made this event possible:

ASL Interview

January 29, 2016American Sign Language, Interviews, On Writing, Sword and Verse, Young Adult Fantasyruith lehrerkathymacmillan

I’ve been fortunate to participate in lots of great interviews about Sword and Verse in the pas few weeks, but this is my favorite! That’s because it was conducted by Ruth Lehrer, a fellow American Sign Language interpreter and the author of the forthcoming middle grade novel Being Fishkill (Candlewick, 2017). We decided to do the interview in American Sign Language to make it completely accessible to our friends in the Deaf community. (Don’t worry, nonsigners – we also provided an English transcript – mostly. There’s a bonus, untranslated question for signers only!)

I loved the thoughtful questions Ruth asked about the role of language in the book, and I loved the opportunity to share how my experiences in the Deaf community impacted the story. I hope you will enjoy this interview as much as I did! Watch the interview in ASL or read it in English at the Swanky Seventeens Blog.