During my undergraduate years, I took American Sign Language as my foreign language. One of the requirements for both ASL I and ASL II was that the students spend a certain number of hours interacting with the Deaf community in the city. I learned a lot, about both the language and the culture, but just as with any other language, it was a 'use it or lose it' situation, something that is briefly discussed in Give Me a Sign by Anna Sortino. In this young adult novel, 17 year-old Lilah will get the opportunity to return to a summer camp for the deaf and blind that she used to attend as a kid. It will certainly be a summer to remember as she will do much more than simply brush up on her ASL.
The Situation: It is the end of junior year of high school, and Lilah is not exactly pleased with the direction her life has currently taken. Her grades have taken a serious dive, much to her mother's displeasure, so now there is talk of summer school, as well as more unpleasant discussions regarding Lilah's hearing loss and how she needs to advocate for herself in the classroom. Even at the end of an outing with her hearing friends, Lilah experiences listening fatigue, and getting her teachers to use the accommodations she needs is another issue she is simply sick of dealing with. There is somewhere where Lilah never felt out of place, a summer camp for the deaf and blind that she has not been to in years. So she decides to reach out and see if there is a spot for her as a junior counselor, and when she is accepted, she has no idea just how much she is going to learn.
The Problem: Lilah has a hard time fitting into the hearing world. But because she is not completely deaf, she has often experienced feelings of insecurity (as well as moments of discrimination) from the Deaf community for not being 'deaf enough.' At Camp Gray Wolf, Lilah will meet campers and counselors who are deaf, blind, hard of hearing, visually impaired, as well as counselors who are hearing and not visually impaired. She will also meet Isaac, a cute deaf counselor who seems to like Lilah as much as she likes him, but she is not sure. She is uncomfortable about her lack of knowledge of ASL, as she feels she slows conversations down, and that more than a few of the counselors are annoyed with her because of it. Lilah is glad to be at Gray Wolf, but it will be a summer of discovery, and some lessons will have to come the hard way.
Genre, Themes, History: This is a young adult fiction novel set mostly at Camp Gray Wolf, a summer camp for the deaf and blind. Written from Lilah's point of view, the reader follows her around as she navigates her summer as the new junior counselor. Because of her hearing loss, Lilah sometimes misses what is being spoken in conversation, and therefore, so does the reader. Lilah's hearing aids do help, but they do not catch everything. Her ability to read lips also helps, but again, it is not a solution to catching 100% of what people say to her. She would love to use ASL more, but does not know it as well as she would like. Miscommunication is a common occurrence as Lilah attempts to form her own identity within the Deaf community, which is incredibly complex.
My Verdict: From the first page, Lilah's frustration over the current situation can be clearly felt. The struggle to make sure teachers do what they are supposed to do; the difficult conversations with her mom; the stressful appointments with her audiologist - all of these things, along with a myriad of others, are a regular part of her life. Deaf culture is complex, and no one book is going to be able to spell everything out, but this book can be a start. And a fun one at that. Ultimately, Lilah is a teenage girl working at a summer camp, glad to be away from home and school for a bit, hoping to maybe have a summer romance and learn a little bit about who she is. Having hearing loss does complicate matters, but the book makes it clear that there are options, and the choice is hers, and those close to her will respect what she decides and what she needs.
Favorite Moment: Lilah's little brother Max, who is also hard of hearing, arrives at the camp midway through the summer, and she is able to use what she has learned so far to guide him to make his own decisions.
Favorite Character: Bobby is a senior counselor at Camp Gray Wolf and is also blind. I got excited every time he showed up on the page because of his humor and generally bright demeanor.
Recommended Reading: I recommend Chaos Theory by Nic Stone, as well as Kids of Appetite by David Arnold.
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