A review by blogginboutbooks
Show Me a Sign by Ann Clare LeZotte

4.0

I'm not sure how much this novel will appeal to middle graders, for whom historical stories can be a hard sell (unless they're of the I Survived ... variety), but I enjoyed it. I learned a lot about deafness and deaf culture through our heroine, Mary Lambert, through her interactions with people of her deaf community and outside of it. LeZotte's author's notes at the end of the book were also fascinating. Most of the characters in SHOW ME A SIGN are warm and likable, although they remain realistic in their imperfections. Action-wise, this novel starts off slowly (which I believe will be an obstacle for young readers), but if definitely picks up in the second half. Overall, I found it an interesting, heartfelt, and thought-provoking read. It was an enlightening book for me and I hope it finds its way into the hands of MG readers. Regardless, readers of any age can benefit from the lessons taught in ShOW ME A SIGN.