Special Collections

Mary Mehan Awake

In a compelling sequel to the highly praised "The Dreams of Mairhe Mehan", Mairhe, who has now taken the name Mary, leaves Washington, D.C., to take a position as a domestic servant in upstate New York. The Civil War has ended. Mary's brother, Mike, has been killed at Gettysburg, her father has returned home to Ireland, and, after two years of nursing wounded and dying soldiers in the capital's hospitals, Mary is emotionally exhausted and physically defeated. But in her new life on the shores of Lake Ontario, Mary finds renewal and her senses gradually re-awaken. Each of the novel's five sections focuses on a different sense -- as Mary learns to assist explorer and naturalist Jasper Dorsett in photographing birds, she begins to see things with a photographer's eye; as she falls in love with Dorsett's stable hand, a veteran left deaf by the war, she learns to describe the sounds she hears for him; and so forth, through the renewal of smell, taste, and touch. This challenging and poetic young adult novel concludes Mary's story with a mixture of sparkling language, thematic richness, and emotional depth.

Date Added: 03/08/2018

Mean Little Deaf Queer

In 1959, the year Terry Galloway turned nine, the voices of everyone she loved began to disappear. No one yet knew that an experimental antibiotic given to her mother had wreaked havoc on her fetal nervous system, eventually causing her to go deaf. As a self-proclaimed "child freak," she acted out her fury with her boxy hearing aids and Coke-bottle glasses by faking her own drowning at a camp for crippled children. Ever since that first real-life performance, Galloway has used theater, whether onstage or off, to defy and transcend her reality. With disarming candor, she writes about her mental breakdowns, her queer identity, and living in a silent, quirky world populated by unforgettable characters. What could have been a bitter litany of complaint is instead an unexpectedly hilarious and affecting take on life.

Date Added: 03/08/2018

The Mesa Conspiracy

David Kent unlocked the files of Department Thirty in his electrifying debut novel, "a thrill-a-minute ride" (Mystery Scene). Now he returns to the elusive government agency that erases criminal identities in exchange for lethal secrets -- in a heart-pounding new thriller. Raised by his tough but loving distant cousin Colleen, Eric Anthony never cared or asked what became of the parents who abandoned him early in life. But now Colleen is dying, and Eric, single dad to his young deaf son, is left with a mind-boggling mystery revealed in Colleen's last breaths: a cryptic directive from the man who was his father. Piecing together his shadowed past begins in the dust of Oklahoma's rugged terrain -- and leads to Department Thirty, where U.S. Marshal Faith Kelly chases the mastermind behind a wave of domestic terror. The nexus where their solo quests meet will have explosive implications for them both -- and will place many more than just themselves in grave danger.

Date Added: 03/08/2018

Millionaire Dad

Nick Regan-Phillips: a millionaire, whom the world assumes has it all...but he's got a secret that he's kept from the world-he's a single dad. Nick's daughter, Rosie, is deaf. Nick missed the first five years of Rosie's life, but now she's come to live with him he's struggling to communicate with her....

Lydia Stanford: beautiful, courageous, award-^nnning journalist. And seemingly the only person who can help Nick forge a bond with his daughter..."But when their fragile relationship is tested, will , Lydia realize how much this millionaire dad really means to her-and needs her-before it is too late?

Date Added: 03/08/2018

The Mission Adventure (Darcy and Friends)

Although beeing in a wheelchair will make the trip difficult, Darcy feels called to go with members of her church on a mission to Guatemala where she and her sister help a deaf orphan.

Advisory: Bookshare has learned that this book offers only partial accessibility. We have kept it in the collection because it is useful for some of our members. Benetech is actively working on projects to improve accessibility issues such as these.

Date Added: 03/08/2018

A Mom for Matthew

A wife for him-and a mother for his son?

Zeke Rossetti likes things to run smoothly. He's the single father of a deaf child, and his job managing offshore oil sites in the Texas Gulf doesn't allow for distractions. Grace Stafford is definitely a distraction.

She's searching for a downed plane, hoping to clear her grandfather's World War Two record. Unfortunately, Grace's mission interferes with Zeke's work-and he realizes the quickest way to get rid of her is to help her.

Zeke's been burned before. His ex-wife left him and Matthew. As he grows closer to Grace, Zeke begins to suspect she's the woman for him-but can she be a mom for Matthew?

Date Added: 03/08/2018

"Mommy, What Is Deaf?"

The author of "Mommy, What is Dead?", Nikki Sian-Leigh Aksamit, has added "Mommy, What is Deaf?" as the next book in her "Mommy, What is...?" series. Aimed at preschool age children, "Mommy, What is Deaf?" explains sound, the definition of "deaf", and all the reasons why some people can not hear. With straight forward text, and uncomplicated drawings, young children easily understand how the ears work, and why in some people they do not. Kids are also challenged to "feel" the sounds around them, as deaf people do.

Date Added: 03/08/2018

Morality Play

The time is the fourteenth century. The place is a small town in rural England, and the setting a snow-laden winter. A small troupe of actors accompanied by Nicholas Barber, a young renegade priest, prepare to play the drama of their lives. Breaking the longstanding tradition of only performing religious plays, the groups leader, Martin, wants them to enact the murder that is foremost in the townspeoples minds.

A young boy has been found dead, and a mute-and-deaf girl has been arrested and stands to be hanged for the murder. As members of the troupe delve deeper into the circumstances of the murder, they find themselves entering a political and class feud that may undo them. Intriguing and suspenseful, Morality Play is an exquisite work that captivates by its power, while opening up the distant past as new to the reader.
Man Booker Prize Finalist

Date Added: 03/08/2018

Moses Goes to a Concert

"Moses and his school friends are deaf, but like most children, they have a lot to say. They communicate in American Sign Language, using visual signs and facial expressions. This is called signing. And even though they can't hear, they can enjoy many activities through their other senses. Today, Moses and his classmates are going to a concert. Their teacher, Mr. Samuels, has two surprises in store for them, to make this particular concert a special event."

Date Added: 03/08/2018

Moses Goes to School

Moses goes to a special school, a public school for the deaf. All his classmates are deaf or hard of hearing, but that doesn't mean they don't have a lot to say to each other! They communicate in American Sign Language, using visual signs and facial expressions. This is called signing. Isaac Millman follows Moses through a school day, telling the story in pictures and written English, and in American Sign Language (ASL), introducing hearing children to the signs for some of the key words and ideas, including a favorite song in sign language. You can sign along! Picture descriptions describe each sign and its movements.

Date Added: 03/08/2018

Moses Goes to the Circus

Experience the Big Apple's Circus of the Senses Moses and his family are going to the circus. Not just any circus but the Big Apple's Circus of the Senses! In a single ring, there are acts by trapeze artists, acrobats, elephants, horses, and clowns - all specially designed for the deaf and hard-of-hearing and the blind. Moses's little sister, Renee, isn't deaf but is learning sign language, and Moses loves teaching her the signs for their day at the circus.

Date Added: 03/08/2018

Multilingual Aspects of Signed Language Communication and Disorder

Inquiry into signed languages has added to what is known about structural variation and language, language learning, and cognitive processing of language. However, comparatively little research has focused on communication disorders in signed language users. For some deaf children, atypicality is viewed as a phase that they will outgrow, and this results in late identification of linguistic or cognitive deficits that might have been addressed earlier. This volume takes a step towards describing different types of atypicality in language communicated in the signed modality such as linguistic impairment caused by deficits in visual processing, difficulties with motor movements, and neurological decline. Chapters within the book also consider communication differences in hearing children acquiring signed and spoken languages.

Date Added: 03/08/2018

My Sister's Voice

Every love leaves an echo. . .

What do you do when you discover your whole life was a lie? In Mary Carter's unforgettable new novel, one woman is about to find out...

At twenty-eight, Lacey Gears is exactly where she wants to be. An up-and-coming, proudly Deaf artist in Philadelphia, she's in a relationship with a wonderful man and rarely thinks about her difficult childhood in a home for disabled orphans. That is, until Lacey receives a letter that begins, "You have a sister. A twin to be exact. . ." >P>Learning that her identical, hearing twin, Monica, experienced the normal childhood she was denied resurrects all of Lacey's grief, and she angrily sets out to find Monica and her biological parents. But the truth about Monica's life, their brief shared past, and the reason for the twins' separation is far from simple. And for every one of Lacey's questions that's answered, others are raised, more baffling and profound.Complex, moving, and beautifully told, My Sister's Voice is a novel about sisterhood, love of every shape, and the stories we cling to until real life comes crashing in. . .

Date Added: 03/08/2018

Nobody's Perfect

"She's practically perfect," Megan said thoughtfully. She repeated the new girl's name, practicing the way Ms. Endee had written it on the whiteboard. Alexis Powell. Megan has spent forever planning her positively purple birthday sleepover. She's even made glittery purple invitations for every girl in her class. Then a new girl, Alexis, joins their class. Alexis seems perfect: She's smart, pretty, and rules the soccer games on the playground. But no matter how hard Megan tries to be a friend to Alexis, the new girl is aloof or rude. At first, Megan thinks Alexis is shy. Then Megan starts to fear that Alexis is treating her differently because she's deaf. When the girls are forced to collaborate on a science fair project, Megan learns the truth -- and realizes that nobody's perfect. Once again Marlee Matlin draws on experiences from her own childhood to tell Megan's story. In this funny, poignant book, readers will root for Megan, a spirited young girl who doesn't let anything stand in her way.

Date Added: 03/08/2018

No Excuses

The first deaf athlete to play offense in the NFL (and win a Super Bowl with the Seattle Seahawks!) relates his inspirational story of hard work and determination in his own words. Great for readers of all ages.The inspirational memoir from the popular current Seattle Seahawks running back Derrick Coleman Jr., who, in just his second year in the NFL, won the 2014 Super Bowl with the Seahawks. Showcasing his unlikely and challenging journey to become the first deaf offensive NFL player, he talks about overcoming internal obstacles and external obstacles (bullies and naysayers) in the course of reaching your true potential.

Date Added: 03/08/2018

The Ocean Inside

For Denzel, sound is a mysterious, mind-stretching thing. He can hear some sounds, but he can't figure out what those sounds mean. Half the time, he just ignores what he hears because none of it makes any sense. At other times, however, he tries to imagine what sound must be like for other people. Then he concentrates on sound intensely. He tries to picture sound, to feel sound, to smell and to taste sound. Because he cannot hear, Denzel tries to imagine sound the way other people might imagine what it's like to fly. But no matter how he tries, Denzel cannot imagine how it would feel to hear the way other people hear. Ten to 15 percent of all children in the United States are born with a hearing loss of some kind. Children who are deaf and hard of hearing face different types of challenges as they mature. Learning to communicate, overcome discrimination, and find their place in society can be difficult and confusing for children with hearing loss. The situation is complicated by the fact that their peers, teachers, and parents may not understand their needs. In The Ocean Inside: Youth Who Are Deaf and Hard of Hearing, you will follow Denzel through his own journey through deafness. As you do, you will learn: * the unique challenges facing children who are deaf and hard of hearing, * strategies for dealing with these challenges and approaches to deaf education, and * accomplishments that other deaf people have made along the way.

Date Added: 03/08/2018

Of Sound Mind

Tired of interpreting for his deaf family and resentful of their reliance on him, high school senior Theo finds support and understanding from Ivy, a new student who also has a deaf parent.

Date Added: 03/08/2018

Once in a Lifetime

Millions adored Daphne Fields, for she shared their passion, their pain, their joy, and their sorrow. But America's most popular novelist remained a closed book to the world -- guarding her life with a fierce privacy no reporter could crack.

Her life hides a myriad of secrets. The husband and daughter she lost in a fire. The son who barely survived it and would be deaf forever. The victories, the defeats, the challenges of facing life as a woman alone and helping her son meet the challenges of his handicap. A strong woman, she would not accept defeat, or help from anyone... until she found she could no longer face it alone.

Date Added: 03/08/2018

Once In Every Life

Tess Gregorys brilliant career as a research scientist hides her longings for a husband and child. Though deaf, she is a free spirit-a woman full of life and love. She is struck down all too soon. But for Tess, a new life begins at her death, in post-Civil War America. She is now Amarylis Rafferty, wife and mother of three-and she can hear. Shocked and disoriented by her new surroundings, she is drawn into the savage heartache burdening the family, especially her husband, Jack. Pioneer living is rough for a woman used to modern conveniences, but Tess flourishes, bringing happiness and hope to her daughters and her son-to all except her husband, a man haunted by angry, violent voices that give no rest to his bitter soul. A man who fears himself capable of anything. But Tess's faith is unshakable. Sheer determination will drive her as their hearts become entwined in a fierce struggle that can be tamed only by love itself....

Date Added: 03/08/2018

On the Fence

Although Drolsbaugh is listed as author, he is actually the editor of writings by 37 individuals. They label themselves hard of hearing or hearing impaired. This is a very different population than the culturally deaf, signing community. Authors found their community in Self Help for the Hard of Hearing (SHHH), later renamed as HLAA (Hearing Loss Association of America). A bio of the authors is included at the end. They vary from childhood age to the elderly.

Date Added: 03/08/2018

Open Your Eyes

This volume introduces readers to the key concepts and debates in deaf studies, offering perspectives on the relevance and richness of deaf ways of being in the world. In Open Your Eyes, leading and emerging scholars, the majority of whom are deaf, consider physical and cultural boundaries of deaf places and probe the complex intersections of deaf identities with gender, sexuality, disability, family, and race.

Date Added: 03/08/2018

The Orange Houses

Tamika Sykes, AKA Mik, is hearing impaired and way too smart for her West Bronx high school. She copes by reading lips and selling homework answers, and looks forward to the time each day when she can be alone in her room drawing. She's a tough girl who mostly keeps to herself and can shut anyone out with the click of her hearing aid. But then she meets Fatima, a teenage refugee who sells newspapers, and Jimmi, a homeless vet who is shunned by the rest of the community, and her life takes an unexpected turn.

Date Added: 03/08/2018

The Other Side of Silence

The history of the struggle to legitimize sign language against the pressure of a hearing educational establishment intent on forcing upon the deaf the almost impossible task of learning lipreading and speech.

Date Added: 03/08/2018

The Other Victims

Personal narratives of Christians, gypsies, deaf people, homosexuals, and blacks who suffered at the hands of the Nazis before and during World War II, written for teenagers.

Date Added: 03/08/2018

Our Stories

Short vignettes of real life sign language interpreting experiences that left a mark on interpreters' souls. Some pieces are funny, some serious. A few are written by Deaf and Deaf-Blind consumers.

Date Added: 03/08/2018