About This Book
This historical chapter book, set in the late 1940s, follows twelve-year-old Gussie, whose deaf parents are also ministers. After Gussie commits some misdeeds, her punishment is to assist at the Alabama School for the Deaf. Through her experiences there, interacting with the deaf community and learning about their lives, Gussie begins to understand the true meaning of integrity, empathy, and responsibility. It's a gentle story that explores themes of family, communication, and personal growth, offering a window into a specific historical period and the deaf experience.
In the late 1940s, twelve-year-old Gussie, a minister's daughter, learns the definition of integrity while helping with a celebration at the Alabama School for the Deaf--her punishment for misdeeds against her deaf parents and their boarders.
Discussion Prompts
1
What does "integrity" mean, and how does Gussie learn about it?
2
How do Gussie's feelings about her punishment change throughout the story?
3
What challenges do Gussie's deaf parents face, and how does Gussie's understanding of them grow?
4
How is communication different for people who use American Sign Language, and what can we learn from it?
5
Have you ever had to make amends for something you did wrong? How did it feel?
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