author_d_r_oestreicher's review against another edition
5.0
Deaf Child Crossing by Marlee Matlin: Megan is nine years old and deaf. She has no friends until Cindy moves onto her block. They become instant BFFs. They confess secrets to each other, and Cindy learns sign language. When they go to overnight camp together their friendship is put to the test.
In this story about friendship in elementary school by Academy Award-winning actor Marlee Matlin, both Megan and Cindy learn lessons about belonging, confidence, and empathy.
In this story about friendship in elementary school by Academy Award-winning actor Marlee Matlin, both Megan and Cindy learn lessons about belonging, confidence, and empathy.
morganvermillion's review against another edition
3.0
I would have loved this book as a fourth grader (I borrowed it from a fourth grade classroom and have already recommended it to a couple students) but as an adult, I, of course, found a few flaws. I understood that the girls’ attitudes and arguments were supposed to remind the reader that they were just children, but it really frustrated me how their anger and fighting often came from nowhere. I also didn’t feel like there was any foreshadowing, and the story kind of just ended exactly how you knew it was going to end.
choirqueer's review against another edition
2.0
I thought I would enjoy this book a lot more than I actually did. The author does a strong job of conveying elements of Deaf people's experiences that hearing people might not be aware of, and the types of conflicts a Deaf person is likely to encounter when navigating the hearing world. I liked that the protagonist, who is Deaf, and her best friend, who is hearing, were both portrayed as complex characters with very different personalities, and the extent to which their different personalities tended to clash more so than their Deafness or lack thereof. I was not impressed with the protagonist's family members, who were not interesting or well-developed as characters. The conflicts between the characters (both protagonist/family and protagonist/friend conflicts) seemed overly calculated to Make A Point and just didn't feel like a naturally occuring story element. Also (forthcoming is both a spoiler and a major unexpectedly-necessary content warning)
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Spoiler
the dog dies, and there was just no reason that needed to happen in this story.margaretann84's review against another edition
3.0
A student suggested this to me, and it was okay. Cute. But I think I was expecting something more from it, since the author herself is deaf. I didn't hate it, but it's not going to make it onto my "will-read-once-per-year" shelf.
3/5 on here, 7/10 for myself
3/5 on here, 7/10 for myself
finesilkflower's review against another edition
3.0
Told alternately from the point of view of a 9-year-old Deaf girl and her new hearing friend, this sweet little story tells about forming friendship across barriers, resolving disagreements and miscommunications, and caring for a friendship when a third friend enters the mix. There was a little too much whimsy for me (the main character, Meghan, is a bit of a junior Manic Pixie Dream Girl), but it would probably have appealed to me as a fourth-grader.
njlbo1's review against another edition
3.0
A good read for kids to get some insight about deafness.
erine's review against another edition
3.0
I enjoyed this story, largely because the deaf main character, Megan, is the one who behaves like a jerk. It makes her seem more like a real ten-year-old, and is understandable coming from a child who is frustrated with her limitations. The characters in general are pretty balanced, complete with both flaws and virtues, and I thought this gave the story a little more depth and believability. It was interesting to see through this window into deaf culture, as written by a deaf woman. It seems obvious that a deaf girl would have to deal with limitations, but through this story the reader gains a sense of what those limitations might be like on a daily basis. Using the telephone was a great example. Megan doesn't want to use her TDD, and she doesn't want to believe it's impossible for her to use the phone like a normal person. But when she tries to use the phone, she can't, and it's very hard for her to accept help. How many hearing people in this day and age could give up their phone, and yet on the other hand, how has the advent of texting affected a girl like Megan? This book is not that old, but I can see it starting to slip off the edge of contemporary fiction into dated material because of new technologies available.
Readers who enjoy a good story about making and keeping friends, who like to learn about other ways of life, or, in the case of a deaf reader, like to read about others like themselves might like this book. Those who enjoy "camp" stories, where the kids go off on their own to summer camp and have adventures might like this. This would be a great book for tweens in fifth or sixth grades who are right at this age when friendship seems to start getting complicated.
Nothing obviously objectionable.
Readers who enjoy a good story about making and keeping friends, who like to learn about other ways of life, or, in the case of a deaf reader, like to read about others like themselves might like this book. Those who enjoy "camp" stories, where the kids go off on their own to summer camp and have adventures might like this. This would be a great book for tweens in fifth or sixth grades who are right at this age when friendship seems to start getting complicated.
Nothing obviously objectionable.
musicalmorgan's review against another edition
3.0
I would have loved this book as a fourth grader (I borrowed it from a fourth grade classroom and have already recommended it to a couple students) but as an adult, I, of course, found a few flaws. I understood that the girls’ attitudes and arguments were supposed to remind the reader that they were just children, but it really frustrated me how their anger and fighting often came from nowhere. I also didn’t feel like there was any foreshadowing, and the story kind of just ended exactly how you knew it was going to end.