Deer Run Home
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- $11.99
Publisher Description
Effie is Deaf, and no one in her family speaks sign language, her language. This moving story of survival and found family, inspired by a true court case, is perfect for fans of Wonder and Out of My Mind.
* "Quietly extraordinary." -Kirkus Reviews, starred review
* "Elegantly weaves a heartbreaking story with hope." -School Library Journal, starred review
"Through Effie, young readers both deaf and hearing will encounter a heartfelt homecoming story, and reassurance that they are not alone."-The New York Times
Effie and her older sister, Deja, have recently moved into their father's trailer after an incident at their mom's house. Daddy communicates with Effie by pointing, stomping on the floor, and making thoughtless jokes. Even if they did understand each other, could she tell the terrible secret she carries when telling feels impossible-and dangerous?
But what if telling is the only way to be seen?
This tender, spare, emotionally charged story about the impact of abuse and the power of love explores what it feels like to be an outsider in your own family and to awaken-through friendship, writing, and kinship with the natural world-to a new understanding and appreciation of yourself.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Tween Effie, who is Deaf, commiserates with the deer losing their homes due to redevelopment in her rural neighborhood. After her mother grows "tired/ of my problems," Effie and her older sister Deja are sent to live with their father. As the sisters navigate their father's temper ("My communication with Daddy/ is him stomping/ on the floor"), Effie contends with guilt ("I made life/ harder/ for my sister"). Unable to communicate as "no one/ in my family ever learned/ my first language,/ American Sign Language," Effie keeps her head down. Repeating the fifth grade following at-home learning during the pandemic is difficult, but now she has Miss Kathy, her ASL interpreter and the one adult interested in what Effie says. When Miss Kathy brings Effie to live with her temporarily, Effie signs freely for the first time. In a safe, secure environment, Effie finds family and yearns to open up, despite knowing that she must soon return home. Using vivid and minimalist verse, LeZotte (the Show Me a Sign series) unflinchingly and sympathetically uncovers Effie's family history of neglect and abuse, shedding light on an issue that often stays in the dark. Main characters default to white. Ages 10–14.
