April Bookclub

50 North Queen Street,Lancaster PA 17603

30 April, 2022

Description

Woohoo for April we're reading True Biz by Sara Novic! True Biz – an ASL expressing meaning “seriously” or “real talk” – brilliantly invites readers into the Deaf community, showing both the beauty and the struggle. I learned SO much from this story, in particular about ASL. ASL is its own distinct language, but there is no universal sign language, and it’s completely separate from English. One of the most unique aspects of the book was the ASL lessons interspersed throughout – it really gives you insight into the language and the characters experience. Recommended if you loved CODA . It takes place at a school for the deaf, where the lives of a headmistress and two students intersect. One of the teens, Charlie, is forced by her parents to get a cochlear implant, a controversial device that helps some deaf people perceive sounds. Her hearing family never allowed her to learn American Sign Language—which is starkly opposite the experience her classmate, Austin, had growing up with deaf parents. When Charlie and Austin go missing, their community is tested in this coming-of-age story about love, friendship, protest, and justice.