SHOW ME A SIGN by Ann Clare LeZotte is the 2021 Middle Grade winner for books about disabilities. Author Ann Clare LeZotte herself is deaf, and she writes about a young girl living in the early 1800s.
Martha's Vineyard has a history of hereditary deafness. Many of the immigrants who settled there were from the County Kent area of England also known for its large number of deaf residents. A recessive trait results in deafness with no other abnormalities. The deaf in the Vineyard developed their own local sign language that allowed residents both deaf and hearing to communicate effectively.
Mary and her father were both deaf while her mother was hearing. The family was still reeling from the accidental death of Mary's brother George. Mary feels guilty for the accident and feels that her mother blames her for his untimely death.
When a stranger arrives on the island claiming to be interested in studying the deaf in the community, he is received with mixed emotions. Meeting a scientist interested in studying people like her fascinates Mary. That is until the man kidnaps her and hauls her away for her beloved island to Boston. He threatens to harm her family if she tells anyone what he's done.
Mary's world is turned upside down as she experiences a place where no one signs and where everyone treats her deafness as an illness making her less than everyone else. She must find someone she can trust to help her escape her captor so she can return home.
The author includes end notes about interesting historical facts about Martha's Vineyard, the development of sign language, and the Wampanoag Tribe native to the islands. SHOW ME A SIGN is an intriguing read about a little known bit of history.
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