Introduction

Through my research, I have found that the majority of the books that portray deafness do not come from the cultural view of deafness. Those who are Deaf (the capitalized “d” shows that they identify with Deaf culture), do not see deafness as a disability. This contrasts with the medical view of deafness. Of course, just because you are deaf doesn’t mean that you are a part of the Deaf culture. This is a choice. Many of the books that I read focused on the oral method of communication . This means that those who are deaf lipread and talk. The only book that used a lot of ASL was Deaf Child Crossing, who is an insider. The deaf character, Megan also lipreads and talks, but she uses ASL when she can. The other two books mentioned a sign here and there, but it wasn’t a main mode of communication. Many of the books I read also focused on having to “overcome deafness”. This may be something that deaf individuals have to do, but there also should be books out there that show deaf individuals who have accepted their deafness as a part of their identity. There also seem to be a lack of books from an insider’s view. The only book I read, that I know of, that had a deaf author was Deaf Child Crossing. Some are written by audiologists and other professionals who view deafness as a disability and this is seen through their text. I believe it is important to have more books in this field by insiders and that portray Deaf culture views.

"I'm Deaf and It's Okay" Review

I’m Deaf and It’s Okay

By: Lorraine Aseltine, Evelyn Mueller, and Nancy Tait

Illustrated by: Helen Cogancherry

I’m Deaf and It’s Okay tells the story of a young boy who has to wear hearing aides and believes that he will not have to wear them when he is older. The boy, who is never named, feels left out and hates that people treat him differently. He says, “Some people make weird faces when they talk to me. They stretch their mouths wide and speak very loudly…Do they think I’m stupid?” The authors do a good job of showing the feelings of a young child who is struggling with being different. The book begins with the boy in his room at night and he “can’t see much” and “can’t hear anything”. Many children who are not able to hear have probably struggled with this and it may be comforting to know that they are not the only ones who feel alone. After meeting David, an older boy, who also wears hearing aids, the boy learns that it’s okay to be deaf. David’s talk to the boy’s class helps send the message to deaf children that being deaf doesn’t mean you are incapable of doing what hearing people can do. This book highlights the feelings that a young deaf child may feel and helps them to see that it is okay to be deaf. The life-like pencil drawings of the characters of the book make the characters come to life. The young boy does not look any different from his hearing peers, except for his hearing aid. This helps to send the message that deaf people are just like hearing people, they just can’t hear.

Aseltine, L., Mueller, E., Tait, N. (1986). I’m Deaf and It’s Okay. Illinois: Albert Whitman & Company.

"Mandy" Review

Mandy

By: Barbara D. Booth

Illustrated by: Jim Lamarche

Mandy is a young deaf girl who lives with her grandmother. One day, during a walk, her grandma lost a special pin from her husband. This went unnoticed by Mandy’s grandmother until they returned to the house. Mandy faces a bad storm to search for the pin and ends up finding it. Even though the reader knows Mandy is deaf, this is not the main focus of the story. Mandy shows the love and support of grandma and granddaughter through rich, descriptive text. The beautiful artwork brings Mandy and her grandmother to life. Mandy communicates with her grandmother by reading her lips. There are a few mentions of ASL (American Sign Language), but not many. Unlike many books, Mandy is a girl who is comfortable with who she is. Even though she wonders what things sound like, she has accepted her deafness as part of her identity.

Booth, B. D. (1991). Mandy. Orlando: Harcourt Brace & Company.

"Deaf Child Crossing" Review

Deaf Child Crossing

By: Marlee Matlin

Megan is a 9 year old girl who is deaf. When Cindy, who also is nine and is hearing, moves into Megan’s neighborhood, they become instant friends. Due to their language barrier, Cindy decides to learn ASL so that Megan won’t always have to read her lips. When Cindy convinces Megan to go to camp, their friendship is tested. Megan is frustrated with Cindy because she offers help when Megan doesn’t want it and Megan ditches Cindy to hang out with Lizzie, who also is deaf. The two leave camp not talking. After a big blow-up at the bus stop, Megan and Cindy renew their friendship. As a sign of their dedication to each other, “Cindy held out her finger and grabbed Megan’s finger. She turned their hands over to make the sign for ‘friend’” (199-200). This novel gives children a relatable story to read and helps them realize that they are not alone. Differences in the deaf and hearing cultures may make friendship difficult at times, but this doesn’t mean that it is impossible. This story teaches that you have to take the time to get to know both cultures and understand the differences and learn to respect both. Written by an insider, this book provides an insider’s view on being nine and deaf.

Matlin, M. (2002). Deaf Child Crossing. New York: Aladdin Paperbacks

"Deaf Characters and Deafness in Science Fiction" Article Review

Deaf Characters and Deafness in Science Fiction

By: Harry G. Lang and Robert F. Panara

In this article, Lang and Panara looked at the portrayal of deafness in science fiction. They say, “A glimpse into the “future” of deaf persons from the perspectives of past and present science fiction writers reveals both the prophetic qualities of the genre as well as how it serves as a mirror of today’s society”. Science fiction seems to focus on many of the myths associated with deafness and explores them and sometimes continues them instead of defying them. In Mother and Child by Joan D. Binge, deafness is seen as a punishment. This provides a mirror for what parts of our society believes. Many parents believe that they are being punished when they find out that their child is deaf. This of course is not the case. It is not right for books to continue to promote this belief. Another myth is portrayed in Silence is Deadly by Lloyd Biggle. In this book, lipreading is very easy for deaf people. In reality, yes deaf individuals are able to lipread, but the majority of this is made up of guessing. Hearing people actually are better at lipreading than deaf individuals. While talking about ASL (American Sign Language) portrayal in science fiction, Lang and Panara say, “the genre typically deals with diverse races of beings having strange and unexpected languages”. It is as if they are classifying ASL as being “weird”. It is important to be accepting of the different language of deaf individuals and not think of it as weird. It is just different. If books keep promoting myths instead of defying them, our world will never truly be able to accept deafness.

Lang, Harry, G.; Panara, Robert F. (1989). Deaf Characters and Deafness in Science Fiction. The Deaf American, 39(3). https://ritdml.rit.edu/dspace/handle/1850/1335