Hurt Go Happy

Thirteen-year-old Joey is a typical teenage girl except that she is hearing impaired and must lip-read to understand what her family is saying but often struggles to connect with them and seeks solace in their wild, forested backyard. One day Joey ends up on Dr. Charles Mansell’s property, and they form a unique friendship—Dr. Mansell has a chimpanzee, Sukari, who communicates with sign language and the Doctor and Sukari teach Joey how to sign and her world opens up with possibilities. This captivating novel for grades 5-8 raises issues of living with disabilities, fairness, equality, family conflicts, and use of animals in research. Useful for literature circles or guided novel study.