Looking for a unique holiday gift? How about an autographed book?
You can purchase autographed copies of my books – with some terrific bundle deals from Deaf Camps, Inc.’s Online Bookstore. All proceeds go directly to Deaf Camps, Inc.’s scholarship program. They can even be personalized!
Set Me Free by Ann Clare LeZotte
Summary: Three years after being kidnapped and rendered a “live specimen” in a cruel experiment to determine the cause of her deafness, fourteen year old Mary Lambert is summoned from her home in Martha’s Vineyard to the mainland to teach a younger deaf girl to communicate with sign language. She can’t help but wonder, Can a child of eight with no prior language be taught? Still, weary of domestic life and struggling to write as she used to, Mary pours all her passion into the pursuit of freeing this child from the prison of her isolation. But when she arrives at the manor, Mary discovers that there is much more to the girl’s story — and the circumstances of her confinement — than she ever could have imagined. Freeing her suddenly takes on a much greater meaning — and risk.
In Show Me a Sign, Ann Clare LeZotte introduced us to Mary Lambert and the people of Martha’s Vineyard in the early 1800s, where nearly everyone signed and deaf islanders were fully integrated into the life of the island. The Mary we meet in Set Me Free, three years after she was kidnapped and dragged to the mainland to be experimented upon, is warier and wiser. When she is offered the chance to tutor an eight-year-old deaf girl who seems to have no access to communication, she says yes, though she has no idea of the web of secrets and lies she will uncover when she leaves the island to go to the fine manor house. Mary relies on her wits and her own internal moral compass to communicate with the hearing people in the house, always determined to reach the girl – determined not to give up on her, even if her own family already has. Along the way, Mary must confront old friends and enemies, and reckon with the web of prejudice around her, even in her own family and history. LeZotte once again offers a nuanced picture of history, naturally incorporating characters of many backgrounds into the story and showing how the lives of the Wampanoag, black, and white characters are intertwined both on the island and the mainland. Mary remains both passionate and compassionate even as she learns greater patience for those whose minds have not been opened as much as her own. At a family dinner, Papa toasts Mary by signing, “To our Mary, in all her beautiful contradictions.” LeZottte’s work, in turn, shines a light on the beautiful contradictions in every one of us.
SET ME FREE is out now.
Lucy’s Blooms by Dawn Babb Prochovnic
Summary: The town’s annual flower contest is coming soon, and a young girl puts her heart into growing a lively bunch of flowers she finds in a meadow. As her grandmother guides her in nurturing a garden, the girl learns that winning isn’t the true reward–it’s the special love found in caring for something or someone. Lucy’s Blooms celebrates the joy and happiness that the world has to offer, through the beauty of nature, the kindness and love of family, and the unique specialness in the most unexpected places.
This is a beautiful story of the nurturing power of love – Grams’ love for Lucy, and Lucy in turn pouring that love and care into her blooms. Like many children, Lucy must confront the reality that not everyone will see the magic she sees in the things she loves – some people might even dismiss them as weeds. But buoyed by the security and affection of her grandmother, Lucy knows that her blooms have something none of the prize-winning flowers can boast. Dawn Babb Prochovnic’s lyrical text skips along like Lucy’s twirling dance in the meadow, perfectly paired with Alice Brereton’s exuberant art. A celebration of connection – human to human, and human to nature – that shines with all the warmth of a sunny summer day in the garden.
Lucy’s Blooms by Dawn Babb Prochovnic is out now!
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Everyone’s Sleepy but the Baby by Tracy C. Gold
Summary: Sleepy Mommy, Sleepy Daddy, Sleepy little dog.
Everyone’s sleepy but the baby, Yawn, yawn, yawn. After a long day, the whole family is ready to hit the hay . . . except for the baby. Why is it so hard to get the baby to sleep? With hilarious illustrations that might hit a little too close to home for new parents, Everyone’s Sleepy but the Baby is the perfect, true-to-life bedtime story that will help even the most reluctant sleeper wind down for bed
It’s a scene familiar to any exhausted parent: everyone is drowsy, sleepy, ready for bed – except the baby, who is wide awake! As parents, the dog, and even the toys wind down for the night, the baby wants to play, scrub-a-dub, and coo. Gold’s gentle, rhythmic text and Dafflon’s bright and lively illustrations combine for a perfect bedtime read for sleepy parents and (eventually) sleepy babies. Bonus: it’s just the right length for that “one last bedtime story” that sets the mood for sleep. I am looking forward to adding it to my go-to baby shower gift list!
Everyone’s Sleepy but the Baby by Tracy C. Gold is out now!
Go behind the book over at the Familius Habit Hub blog to learn more about how She Spoke: 14 Women Who Raised Their Voices and Changed the World went from idea to book!
Stories By Hand with Kathy MacMillan 