The Words in My Hands

Sixteen-year-old Piper is deaf and has a hearing mother who wants Piper to pass as a hearing person as their society values the hearing. When Piper meets Marley, a deaf person raised by a deaf parent, she learns to celebrate deafness rather than hide it from view. This award-winning dystopian novel, written in a junk journal style, centres on a futuristic society that experiences economic collapse from tampering with natural food, its production, and delivery systems. Suitable for a literature circle choice to explore inclusivity, social engagement, and becoming an autonomous individual, and for cross-curricular opportunities to explore sustainability and caring for the natural environment.