Give Me a Sign by Anna Sortino
Summary: Lilah is stuck in the middle. At least, that’s what having a hearing loss seems like sometimes—when you don’t feel “deaf enough” to identify as Deaf or hearing enough to meet the world’s expectations. But this summer, Lilah is ready for a change. When Lilah becomes a counselor at a summer camp for the deaf and blind, her plan is to brush up on her ASL. Once there, she also finds a community. There are cute British lifeguards who break hearts but not rules, a YouTuber who’s just a bit desperate for clout, the campers Lilah’s responsible for (and overwhelmed by)—and then there’s Isaac, the dreamy Deaf counselor who volunteers to help Lilah with her signing. Romance was never on the agenda, and Lilah’s not positive Isaac likes her that way. But all signs seem to point to love. Unless she’s reading them wrong? One thing’s for sure: Lilah wanted change, and things here are certainly different than what she’s used to.

As soon as I found out about this book, I knew I had to read it, and I knew exactly when and where I would do so: at the Deaf/American Sign Language Camp where I have been a counselor and director for 23 years and counting.** Having seen how many of our campers have discovered and embraced their Deaf identities at camp, I couldn’t wait to see how Deaf author Anna Sortino tackled this story. And she NAILED it. Lilah’s story is both effective and affecting, touching on many hot topics in the Deaf community: cochlear implants, hearing social media influencers, interactions with law enforcement, feeling “not Deaf enough”. But the story stays firmly grounded in Lilah’s singular experience, never feeling like a lecture or a checklist. (Aside from being a nuanced depiction of the Deaf experience, this book is also a terrific mentor text for any author who wants to tackle big issues in a natural way that keeps the story grounded in the protagonist’s wants and needs.) Through Lilah’s interactions with campers and counselors, Sortino showcases the diversity of the Deaf community and the disabled community, highlighting many different communication styles, language preferences, abilities, educational backgrounds, and perspectives coming together. Add to that a very sweet summer romance, and you’ve got a fun, immersive read that will appeal to anyone with a heart.

**If you or someone you know is between the ages of 7 and 17 and is Deaf/hard-of-hearing OR wants to learn American Sign Language in an immersion environment, check out Deaf Camps, Inc.’s residential camps!

GIVE ME A SIGN at Deaf/ASL Camp 2023:

GIVE ME A SIGN is out now.

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