You Don’t Know Everything, Jilly P!

Only child Jilly is so excited that she now has a baby sister, but her parents are devastated to discover the baby is deaf. Jilly contacts an online friend who is deaf and black, and she learns how important it is to respect, accept, and advocate for her little sister as well as for her aunts who are black and experience racism, how to stay true to her values, and how to speak up for what she believes in. This engaging novel, for grades 6-9, deals with issues of racism, friendship, advocacy, abilities, acceptance, and humanity and can launch class discussions and be a starting point for writing or inquiry projects.