It can be hard to find good Deaf and ASL representation in literature. So I decided to go on a quest to find as many fiction books as possible portraying deaf and/or hard-of-hearing characters or books written by deaf and/or hard-of-hearing authors.

Below is a list of books that have Deaf and/or Hard-of-Hearing characters. Book titles are italicized.  Books I have read are in bold text. 

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​Note: This will be updated as I find and read more books.  Additionally, these books are not ranked, but as I read them, and if the representation doesn't feel authentic, I will be removing the books. This means the list is not static. 

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To easily jump to the section to view a specific level or genre, click a link below or keep scrolling. 

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Children's Books

Middle Grade

Young Adult

Adult

Adult Romance

Non-Fiction

Upcoming Releases

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Please note how I am using the asterisks:

 * Written by a Deaf / Hard-of-Hearing author

 ** Written by an ASL interpreter OR hearing author that has a D/HH family member

 

Children's Books

1. The Silent Sunset by Mike Dorsey*

2. My Monster Truck Goes Everywhere with Me by Kathleen Marcath**

3. I'm Deaf and that's Okay by Emily Bisby*

4. Sign About book collection by Anthony Lewis

   • Sign About Meal Time, Sign About Play Time, Sign About Getting Ready

5. BOY by Phil Cummings

6. Mara Hears in Style by Terri Clemmons

7. My Hearing, My Way by Dr. Stacey Armas**

8. Mila Gets Her Super-Ears by Ashley Machovec**

9. Dancing Hands: A Story of Friendship in Filipino Sign Language by Joanna Que and Charina Marquez

10. Mighty Mila by Katie Petruzziello**

11. Daisy Doo: All the Sounds She Knew by Daisy Kent*

12. My Deaf Friend Can Do Anything You Can Do by Tanesha Ausby**

13. Listen by Shannon Stocker

14. Gracie's Ears by Debbie Blackington

15. Super Kena by Cymbaulk

16. Dachy's Deaf by Jack Hughes

17. I am Deaf by Jennifer Moore-Mallinos and Maria Fabrega

18. Deafinitely Awesome: The Story of Acorn  by Timy Sullivan as told by Mary L. Motley

19. All the Ways I Hear You by Stephanie Marrufo**

20. I DEAF-initely Can: Rhett the Heeler by Karlie Waldrip*

21. Can Bears Ski? By Raymond Antrobus* and Polly Dunbar

22. Maxi's Super Ears by Maggie Klein

23. Freddie and The Fairy by Julia Donaldson and Karen George

24. Nita's Day by Kathy MacMillan

25. Sound Switch Wonder by Christine Ko and Owen Whang**

26. Listening to the Quiet by Cassie Silva

27. Come Over to My House by Eliza Hull and Sally Rippin**

28. William Hoy Story by Nancy Churnin

29. So Much More to Helen! by Meeg Pincus

30. Hands and Hearts by Donna Jo Napoli**

31. Butterfly on the Wind by Adam Pottle and Ziyue Chen*

32. Papa... Can You Hear Me Now? by Dr. Amit Gosalia​

 

Middle Grade 

1. Song for a Whale by Lynne Kelly**

2. Harriet Versus the Galaxy by Samantha Baines*

3. Won't Someone Help Anna? by Francine Pascal and Jamie Suzanne (Sweet Valley Twins)

4. The Babysitter's Club: Jessi's Secret Language by Chan Chou

5. Show Me a Sign by Anne Clare LeZotte*

   • This is a series: Set Me Free (Book 2), Sail Me Away Home (Book 3)

6. deaf Not Deaf by Christian Fusco**

7. El Deafo by CeCe Bell*

8. Next Door by Deborah Kerbel and Isaac Liang*

9. Deaf Kids Can series by Mickey Carolan**

   1. Sky the Deaf Home Run Hero 

   2. Bonnie and the Deaf Bake Squad 

10. Hello, Universe by Erin Entrada Kelly

11. Hurt Go Happy by Ginny Rorby

12. Waiting for a Sign by Etsy Schachter**

13. The Words in My Hands by Asphyxia*

14. Hear Me by Kerry O'Malley Cerra*

15. The Sound of Silence by Myron Uhlberg

16. The Night the Moon Went Out by Samantha Baines

17. Major and Mynah by Karen Owen

18. You Don't Know Everything, Jilly P! by Alex Gino

19. Swishing by Victoria Monroe and Shawn Richardson*

20. That Deaf Guy! by Matt and Kay Daigle 

 

Young Adult

1. The Silence Between Us by Alison Gervais*

2. ​A Game Most Foul by Alison Gervais*

3. You're Welcome, Universe by Whitney Gardner*

4. Give Me a Sign by Anna Sortino*

5. On the Bright Side  by Anna Sortino

6. A Quite Kind of Thunder by Sara Barnard

7. Deeplight by Frances Hardinge

8. Unravel by Amelia Loken*

9. The Whispering Dark by Kelly Andrew*

10. Your Blood, My Bones by Kelly Andrew*

11. Tone Deaf by Olivia Rivers

12. There Will be Lies by Nick Lake

13. Whisper by Chrissie Keighery

14. Mooncakes by Wendy Xu and Suzanne Walker

15. Seafire by Natalie C. Parker

16. Hunting Sirens by Mary Mecham

17. MoonCakes by Suzanne Walker (author) and Wendy Xu (illustrator)

18. M.F.K. by Nilah Magruder 

 

Adult

1. A Sign for Home by Blair Fell**

2. True Biz by Sara Novíc*

3. Girl at War by Sara Novíc*

4. Into the Drowning Deep by Seanan McGuire

5. Dark Pines by Will Dean

6. The Quality of Silence by Rosamund Lupton

7. Silent Fear by Lance and Jame Morcan

8. Dead Silence by Robin Caroll

9. Into the Dark by Karen Rose

10. The Signal by Mike Duke

11. Flirting with Flame by Samantha Jayce

12. A Sign of Her Own by Sarah Marsh*

13. Deafening by Frances Itani**

14. The Dolphin House by Audrey Schulman

15. Talismans, Teacups, and Trysts (Alderwood Regency Fantasies Book 1)  by K. Starling**

16. Wrath's Daughter (The Chaos Series) by A.E. Crosby**

17. The Heart is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers

 

Adult Romance

1. The Right Sign by Nia Arthurs

2. Prickly Romance by Nia Arthurs

3. What It Means to be Whole by Andrea Andersen**

4. What It Means to Be Brave by Andrea Andersen**

5. Finding More by Larissa C. Moyer

6. In Our Hands by Larissa C. Moyer

7. Unspoken by Sandi Lynn

8. Make You Mine by E.M. Lindsey

9. Only When It's Us by Chloe Liese

10. A Notorious Vow by Joanna Shupe

11. Friends with Benefits by Laura Brown*

12. Signs of Attraction by Laura Brown*

13. A Cruise Fling by Laura Brown*

14. The Un-Arranged Marriage by Laura Brown*

15. This is Kind of Epic Love Story by Kacen Callender

16. Next of Kin by Hannah Bonam-Young

17. Maybe Someday by Colleen Hoover

18. Perfect Silence by Kari Lemor

19. The Silent Duo by Jaci Wheeler

    1. Silent Song 

    2. Silent Words 

20. A Hearing Heart by Bonnie Dee

21. Sign Me Up by Dulcie Dameron

22. Hits Different by Tash Ghouri* and Lizzie Huxley-Jones

23. The Princess of Chaos by Candice Wright

24. Fern's Decision by Bea Paige

25. The Witch Collector (Witch Walker)  by Charissa Weaks (MUTE character who signs) 

26. Little Stranger by Leigh Rivers (MUTE character who signs)

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Non-Fiction

1. Living with Hearing Loss and Deafness by Samantha Baines*

2. Deaf Utopia by Nyle DiMarco*

3. I'll Scream Later by Marlee Matin*

4. Finding Zoe by Brandi Rarus* and Gail Harris

5. Train Go Sorry: Inside a Deaf World by Leah Hager Cohen**

6. Haben: The Deafblind Woman Who Conquered Harvard Law by Haben Girma*

7. The Butterfly Cage by Rachel Zemach**

8. The Sound of Silence: Growing Up with Hearing and Deaf Parents by Myron Uhlberg**

9. Listen: how Evelyn Glennie, A Deaf Girl, Changed Percussion by Shannon Stocker

10. Learn to Sign with Your Baby: 50 Essential ASL Signs to Help Your Child Communicate Their Needs, Wants, and Feelings by Cecilia S. Grugan*

11. Between Two Worlds: My Life as a Child of Deaf Adults by David Sorensen*

12. Hearing Maud by Jessica White*

13. Sounds Like Home by Mary Herring Wright*

14. The Perseverance by Raymond Antrobus* (poetry)

15. Deaf Republic by Ilya Kaminsky (poetry)

16. Deaf Again by Mark Drolsbaugh*

17. Anything but Silent by Mark Drolsbaugh*

18. That Deaf Kid: The Ultimate Guide for Parents of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children by Mark Drolsbaugh*

19. Madness in the Mainstream by Mark Drolsbaugh*

20. Death Beneath by Libby Lael*

21. Convergence Crush by Libby Lael*

22. A Quiet Foghorn: More Notes from a Deaf Gay Life by Raymond Luczak*

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Upcoming Releases:

2024​​

• The Magic Thief and the Whisper Heath by Effie Laroe (October 2024)**

• Dust by Alison Stine  (December 2024)

 

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