What Is It Like to Be Deaf?

August 1, 2012
Grades 3-5 These new books in the Overcoming Barriers series focus on blindness, deafness, Braille, and sign language at a down-to-earth, personal level. Each book begins with a glimpse into the life of a real-life child today before branching out into other more general topics. The series' tone is consistently upbeat, though not falsely cheery. In What Is It like to Be Deaf?, Kent covers topics such as the causes of deafness, the use of sight and other senses, and the ways deaf children and adults overcome challenges and use their talents. Besides the main text, sidebars add tidbits on a greater variety of subjects. Photos on most pages provide an adequate if not sparkling illustration of the text.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2012, American Library Association.)