Teacher Notes: Mandy would be a wonderful book to read to remind students that people are different and that we should respect that diversity. This would be a good read-aloud book for kindergarten and first grade. Second and third graders could read it on their own.
The art work in Mandy is touching and enhances the story with its beauty.
One of the things I enjoy most about this book, is that it exposes the readers to Deaf Culuture while immersing them in a sensitive story about two special people. Mandy and Grandma share such fun together, dancing, cooking walking in the woods. However, when Grandma loses a very special pin that Grandpa gave her before he died, it was Mandy who saved the day!
As a teacher of the Deaf, I read as much literature as possible on this subject to share with students, families, teachers and all interested parties. This book on Deaf Culture is inspiring because of how well it is written and because it is the only piece of literature on this subject that I have read that does NOT focus on what the Deaf can and cannot do, or describe a day in the life of a Deaf person. It tells a heartwarming adventure, weaving into the story inspiring perspectives on Deafness that really make the reader/listener think.
In my mind, this is one of the best children's books I've read about Deafness. It is not one that is well-known, but it is a real treasure!
Mandy stared out the window and shivered, She hated the dark; it made her so alone. At night she couldn't sign to her friends or see anyone's lips when they spoke. it felt as if the world ended at the edge of her flashlight beam.
But she looked at Grandma's tear-streaked face and bare collar. The silver pin Grandpa had given her so long ago was lost somewhere in the woods. And even though a stormy night was beginning, Mandy was determined to find it.
Barbara Booth's beautiful text and )im LaMarche's luminescent paintings give readers a rare insight into the world of a very special deaf child.