Deaf Characters in Adolescent Literature Newsletter

1. Winter 2008
Volume 1, Issue 3
Why do authors include Deaf Characters?
During my research on deaf characters
Inside this issue: in adolescent literature, the partici-
pants in my 2006 study agreed with one “When I was teaching there
Letter from Sharon 2
another relating to their preferences
were no books with characters
New in the bookstore 2 for a spectrum of deaf characters. One
for 2008 deaf participant further explained his/ who were deaf. I wanted deaf
What’s on my bookshelf 3 her belief that the examination and de-
scription of deaf people by hearing children to be the heroes so
On Television 4
authors was much more realistic than
that is why I wrote the books.”
the deaf authors who included much
In the Theatre 4
more superficial and basic information Anne Colledge
about deafness. In the participant‟s
On Television 5
opinion, the major difference between
Read Captions Across 5
the hearing and deaf authors was that much and when I retired I missed the
America the books by the deaf authors were children so I joined a canoe club and
Off the page 8 “written for deaf children, not for when we were paddling on the rivers
hearing children” (Pajka-West, 2007, and the sea the children talked to me. I
participant 2d). At that time of my began to put these [tales] into my
study, I did not contact authors to ex- books. When I was teaching there were
plicitly ask them why they included no books with characters who were
deaf characters or who their intended deaf. I wanted deaf children to be the
readers included. heroes so that is why I wrote the
After starting my Blog, I began asking books.” When asked what she hopes
these questions. While the deaf authors young readers will gain from her
certainly hope that deaf youth will read books, she explained, “I hope the chil-
their books, their comments have not dren who are deaf will use the charac-
necessarily excluded hearing youth ters as role models. It was a bit sad in a
from making up their fan base. Deaf school I was visiting when a girl who is
author Anne Colledge, Falling Into deaf asked me, „Could a deaf person
Fear, was a teacher of the deaf for thirty write a book?‟ We have to say, „Yes,‟
quot;Young Girl Reading, and put the books in their hands for
years before becoming an adolescent
1776quot; by Jean-Honoré
Fragonard literature author. She explains, “I en- them to read.” Colledge further
joyed teaching deaf children very (Continued on page 6)

2. Page 2
Letter from Sharon
Dear Readers,
Happy New Year and welcome to another issue of YADC. I had planned to have this issue out in early February; however
with the semester underway and Julie (the graphic designer who helped make the newsletter pretty) being promoted and
having to resign from her post as my own personal graphic designer, I had to quickly learn Publisher. So sorry for the delay.
I can not believe that it is already 2008! I‟m hoping to make your 2008 filled with exciting reads through my quot;100+ Books and
Countingquot; list of Deaf Characters in Adolescent Literature on my Blog (http://pajka.blogspot.com/). At the time of this letter,
I have 173 contemporary books listed including some upcoming publications that I‟ve included in this newsletter. Since the
beginning of my blog, I have worried that at some point the books would just stop coming OR that I wouldn‟t be able to find
the new releases anymore. What I have found, especially over the last few months, is that authors, publishers, book review-
ers, and bloggers are contacting me about upcoming releases. I don‟t have to go digging (that much) anymore. Many of the
authors and their publishers are even sending me review copies or galley copies of their books. When I receive a copy of
the book before it is released on the market, I have time to read the book and contact the author for an interview before the
publication date. This is great news for us (me and you) and them (authors, publishers, etc.). When timed correctly the Deaf
Characters in Adolescent Literature blog can help publicize the new book which gives you a new book to read and hopefully
increases the number of copies sold. Win-Win! Right? One of the questions that I usually ask the authors, especially if they
are hearing, is WHY. Why include a deaf character? Read my feature story to find out what the authors say. As always, I love
hearing from you and your students about the books you are reading! Feel free to contact me at
yadeafcharacters@gmail.com
Happy Reading,
Sharon Pajka-West, Ph.D.
New in the bookstore for 2008
The New Avengers My Most Excellent Year Mask of the Jackal A Touch of Grace The Sign for Drowning:
Issue #39 Marvel by Steve Kluger by Christine Harris by Lauraine Snelling A Novel
Comics (March (March 2008) (2008) (March 1, 2008) by Rachel Stolzman
2008) (June 2008)

3. Page 3
What’s on my bookshelf
Feathers by Jacqueline Woodson (2007) Helen Keller. Readers experience the life of
Reading level: Ages 9-12 Annie Sullivan and Helen Keller through
Hardcover: 208 pages journals written by Annie Sullivan. Readers
Publisher: Putnam Juvenile learn about Sullivan's abusive father, her
ISBN-10: 0399239898 relationship with her quot;invalidquot; brother, and
Set in 1971, main character, Frannie, enjoys her experiences teaching Helen Keller.
analyzing Emily Dickinson's poem, quot;Hope is
the thing with feathers/ that perches in the soulquot;. When a Deception’s Full Circle by J.G. Martinson
new boy enters the school, the class bully nicknames him Reading Ages: Mature Teen to Adult (Adult Language,
quot;Jesus Boyquot; because of his pale skin and long hair (and Gore, and Violence)
because the new student is the only white student in the Paperback: 352 pages
classroom). Publisher: AuthorHouse (July 13, 2007)
Frannie's brother, Sean, is deaf and uses sign language ISBN-10: 1425986234
throughout the novel. The book covers issues such as the In this CSI/ detective-style mystery, Martinson weaves in sev-
Vietnam War, adolescents' questions about God, issues of eral plots that readers must figure out the characters‟ connec-
racial segregation and deafness. Note: the family per- tions throughout the novel. Only at the very end, are the plots
ceives Sean's deafness in a positive light. truly concluded. Set in Maryland, Deception‟s
Full Circle introduces readers to detectives
Mara and Eddie, a CODA and a fluent Ameri-
Changes for Julie (American Girls Collec- can Sign Language user. When several deaf
tion) by Megan McDonald (Author), individuals with Cochlear Implants suddenly
Robert Hunt (Illustrator), Susan McAliley die from mysterious causes, Mara and Eddie
(Illustrator) (September 2007) are on the case and begin investigating a
Reading level: Ages 9-12 psychotic surgeon who uses a series of pseu-
Paperback: 104 pages donyms and fake identities. Simultaneously,
Publisher: American Girl ISBN-10: there is a Unabomber-type terrorist, self-identified as the
1593693540 Signbomber, on the loose who begins bombing medical cen-
Julie is sent to detention for passing a note to Joy, a new deaf ters that provide Cochlear Implants surgeries.
student who has trouble understanding what their teacher is
saying. Determined to change the rules for detention and The Silent Time by Paul Rowe (September
the system itself, Julie decides to run for student body presi- 2007)
dent. Her choice for vice president is Joy....but then Julie Paperback: 200 pages
worries (mostly because the girls in the class aren't thrilled Reading Ages: Crossover
with her decision) that she won't be elected if she partners Paperback: 352 pages
with someone so quot;differentquot;. Will Julie compromise her prin- Publisher: Killick Press
ciples? Will she win the election? Read the book to find out.
This is a charming novel that introduces read-
ers to characters in Three Brooks, Newfound-
Miss Spitfire by Sarah Miller
land in the early 1900s. The deaf character, Dulcie, is not the
Pub. Date: July 28, 2007
main character but a strong secondary character whose story-
Age Range: 10 to 12
line is weaved throughout the entire book. Dulcie attends the
Hardcover: 240pp
Halifax School for the Deaf in the early 1900s, similar to the
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
author's late mother, Elizabeth Rowe (readers learn this in the
ISBN: 1416925422
acknowledgements section).
This book offers an alternative approach to the story of

4. Page 4
On Television
Medium
Episode 406 | Season 4 |
02/18/2008
A 12-year-old girl and her cat watch In connection with the recent
Godzilla. The cat responds to the sound of glass break- episode of Medium, I would
ing, but the girl, obviously deaf, responds to the cat, recommend visiting the blog, Chat With Bryen at
getting up to investigate. The window on the kitchen http://www.chatwithbryen.com
door is broken, and two masked men enter as the girl
Bryen blogged while he was watching the episode.
screams. Allison wakes up, shocked to find she is deaf.
He analyzed, made predictions, and basically did
Joe gets on the phone right away, setting up an ap-
what I want my students to do…talk to the text.
pointment to see a specialist in the morning.
When I was reading Bryen‟s entry (after seeing the
Visit NBC.com to watch the video if you missed this episode), I kept thinking „what a great lesson plan
episode although I do idea!‟ This activity includes reading the closed
not believe they have captioning, reading images from television, writing,
closed-caption avail- analyzing the show, questioning and predicting.
able on-line. Even non-educational blogs can become
educational!
In the theatre
New in the Movies: Deaf Character played by Deaf Actor
Gallaudet Student, Russell Harvard acts in the film, There will be
Blood, released on December 26. Harvard plays the role of
H.W., the quot;adoptedquot; son of an oil tycoon Daniel Plainview
(played by Daniel Day-Lewis). The film is set in the California frontier at the turn of
the 20th century. Plainview is a silver miner who hopes to make his fortune in oil.
When his son becomes deaf due to an accident near the oil derrick, the father
quot;abandonsquot; his son on a departing train. He most likely sends H.W. away to a school
for the deaf.
There Will Be Blood is based on the novel Oil! (1927) by Upton Sinclair
For more information about the film and to find out if it is released in a theatre near
you, visit http://www.therewillbeblood.com/

5. Page 5
On television
Aside from writing adolescent literature books and acting,
Marlee Matlin will be dancing! ABC announced the celebrity
cast of the next season of quot;Dancing with the Starsquot; will include
actress along with other cast members including: Priscilla
Presley, Steve Guttenberg, Shannon Elizabeth, Adam Carolla,
tennis player Monica Seles, illusionist Penn Jillette, singer Mario, Miami Dolphins'
Jason Taylor, Marissa Jaret Winokur, Olympic gold medalist figure skater Kristi
Yamaguchi, and Chilean actor Cristian de la Fuente. The first episode is set to be-
Marlee Matlin
gin with a live performance March 17th .
In April, we‟ll be able to see Matlin on both ABC‟s Dancing with the Stars and on CBS. She
will be acting in Sweet Nothing In My Ear , a play by Playwright Stephen Sachs which was
adapted for a Hallmark Hall of Fame television movie set to air on CBS.
Sweet Nothing in My Ear premiered in 1997 at The Fountain Theatre, where Sachs was the co-
artistic director. The television version of Sweet Nothing In My Ear is directed by Emmy
Award-winning Joseph Sargent and stars Academy Award winner Marlee Matlin and Golden
Globe winner Jeff Daniels.
In the play, Laura, who is deaf, and Dan, who is hearing, are a young couple who have been happily married for
nine years. Their son Adam was born hearing, but by age six he has lost his hearing. When Dan decides to
pursue the possibility of a cochlear implant for his son, a divisive wedge is driven between husband and wife
that threatens to shatter their marriage.
Read Captions Across America™ for Read Across America Day (March 3, 2008)
Read Captions Across America™ is a national reading event with an emphasis
on the importance of captioned media as a reading tool for children whether
they are deaf, hard of hearing, or hearing. Events and activities will take
place nationwide on Read Across America Day (March 3, 2008) and through-
out the week before and after this special day.
This is the third year Described and Captioned Media Program (DCMP) is
partnering with the National Education Association (NEA) to celebrate Read
Across America, observed in conjunction with the birthday of beloved
children's author Dr. Seuss.
For More Information, Visit: http://www.dcmp.org/About/PRelations/Events.aspx

6. Page 6
Why do authors include Deaf Characters? (cont.)
(Continued from page 1)
comments, “I hope hearing children will gain an insight Hearing author T.C. Boyle, Talk, Talk explains, “a good
about what it means to be deaf and how small changes novelist should be able to portray the point of view of
in how they treat deaf people can make all the anyone, of any culture”. Boyle makes this statement
difference”. Another deaf author, J.G. Martinson, after visiting Gallaudet University and conducting the
Deception’s Full Circle, explains, “After teaching Eng- needed research for including a realistic deaf charac-
lish to deaf high school students for many years, I feel ter. Nearly all of the hearing authors that I have inter-
this is a great book for young students to gain a wider viewed have included a deaf character in their novels
understanding of the controversy and bring together after being inspired by actual deaf people and/or col-
worlds.” He further comments, “I think this book will laborating with members of the Deaf community.
elicit great discussions about cochlear implants, deaf
In his forthcoming novel My Most Excellent Year: A
culture and why it has been such a unique but important
Novel of Love, Mary Poppins, and Fenway Park, Steve
issue for more than a decade to the deaf communities.
Kluger reveals that his character Hucky was a deaf
Radicalism that clash with moderates and liberal views
character who continually crept into his mind for vari-
are positively and entertainingly described in Decep-
ous storylines before he finally surfaced his recent
tion's Full Circle for the sole purpose of educating deaf
book. The inspiration for this character was a young
and hearing readers and hopefully will remain in their
boy Kluger met thirty-some years ago while attend-
minds for years to come.” Similar to Colledge,
ing nursery school. Kluger did not just recall the
Martinson adds, “I'd like to let young deaf writers
young boy. To make Hucky‟s character realistic, Kluger
know that they can make fantastic stories to publish
enrolled in an American Sign Language course.
and writing is a wonderful way to express them-
Hearing author Jacqueline Woodson, Feathers, knew
selves.”
that she wanted to write books that spoke to the people
who were historically excluded from popular literature.
Woodson, who created the only African-American Deaf
“I'd like to let young deaf writers know that character that I have found in adolescent literature, was
they can make fantastic stories to publish raised in a community that included a vast array of indi-
viduals including various deaf individuals. “What I
and writing is a wonderful way to express remember about the deaf people I knew was that no
one signed and often they weren't in school. When I
themselves.”
started reading (as a child) I was often surprised to find
— J.G. Martinson, Deception’s Full Circle the world I knew didn't exist in literature and as an
adult, wanted to put that world on the page. Once I
grew up and met a larger Deaf community, I began to
(Continued on page 7)

7. Page 7
Why do authors include Deaf Characters? (cont.)
(Continued from page 6)
“I wanted to be able to visit schools that were
see the variations in this community were just as they
for the Deaf or walk into a classroom where
were in other communities - variations in language,
ways of living, levels of education, etc.” Woodson notes there were deaf kids and be able to
that her book is not just about the deaf character, Sean,
but how the characters‟ worlds impact one another. communicate with them without an
Woodson studied American Sign Language at the NY interpreter. ”
Society for the Deaf and interacted with Deaf and Hard
of Hearing individuals. When asked why she included a —Jacqueline Woodson
deaf character, she explains, “Many of my friends are
interpreters and although I did not want to be an
the character because I had taught students who used
interpreter, I wanted to speak to Deaf children as I
hearing aids and because I have friends who are hard
spoke to hearing ones -- I wanted to be able to visit
of hearing.” Similarly, Janice Greene, Read My Lips,
schools that were for the Deaf or walk into a class-
has a son who is hard of hearing and wears hearing
room where there were deaf kids and be able to
aids; and CODA Paul Rowe, The Silent Time, includes a
communicate with them without an interpreter.
deaf character who attends the Halifax School for the
Over the years, I've found that this makes SUCH a
Deaf based on his mother‟s childhood experience.
difference for the young person -- to see that a person
Megan McDonald, Changes for Julie (American Girls
cared enough to learn their language….Putting Sean on
Collection), grew up meeting deaf children with whom
the page is a way of beginning -- yet again, the
her social worker mother worked. From her experi-
dialogue between the hearing and the deaf commu-
ences with the children, McDonald began learning sign
nity.”
language from the time she was in high school and
Other authors did not have to necessarily go out of their continued her sign language studies in college. When
way to meet deaf people. Deaf and hard of hearing in- writing her American Girls Collection series, her deaf
dividuals were already part of their lives. Eleanor character Joy was a natural addition to the storyline.
Robins, Just Be Yourself, explains, “I decided to include
As author Penny Warner states, “No two deaf people
are alike”; however, the more examples of deaf charac-
ters in adolescent literature, the more likely accurate
portrayals of deaf people will occur. And just as deaf
The inspiration for the author’s deaf individuals are vastly different from one another, the
portrayals of the deaf characters differ depending on
character was a young boy Kluger met thirty-
how the author views deaf people.
some years ago while attending nursery References:
school. Pajka-West, S. (2007). The portrayals and perceptions of
deaf characters in adolescent literature. (Ph.D. disserta-
tion, University of Virginia, 2007). ProQuest Digital
Dissertations UMI No. AAT 3238142.

8. Winter:
Sharon‟s feelings
quot;In the midst of winter I found within me an
invincible summer.quot; -Albert Camus
SPW:...but the Gulf of Mexico helps
Read the YADC blog!
http://pajka.blogspot.com/
E-mail us!
yadeafcharacters@gmail.com
Off the page...
Taking this show on the road….
I‟ll be presenting my research on Deaf Characters in Adolescent
Literature at the following conferences:
February 8: Georgia Council of Teachers of English at Callaway
Gardens, Georgia (http://www.gcte.net/)
April 3 & 4: The 42nd Annual TESOL Convention in New York
City (http://www.tesol.org/)
Look for…….
My forthcoming chapter “Deaf Characters in Comics” in Meet, Clash and Grapple: Teaching Graphic Novels in the Context of
Student’s Social Worlds , NCTE
and, my book review “The Silent Time by Paul Rowe” in Newfoundland and Labrador Studies Journal
The Assembly on Literature for Adolescents (ALAN)
I've have been invited to serve as the Assembly on Literature for Adolescents (ALAN) State Representative for Washington
D.C. As one of the State Representatives, my job is to spread the word about the organization and to recruit new members.
Membership dues are $20.00 per year and it includes the journal, The ALAN Review. I like the section called Clip & File which
includes reviews of newly published adolescent literature books. Their website includes tons of book recommendations and
a book club! ALAN supports books with deaf characters enabling me to publish an article in their Summer 2007 issue and
featuring book reviews with deaf characters including Jacqueline Woodson's 2007 novel, Feathers. Check out the website
http://www.alan-ya.org/ and consider joining. I love ALAN because they focus on adolescent literature, a part of literature
that is often neglected.