A cute book about how Alice Cogswell inspired Gallaudet and Clerc to bring French sign language to America, told from Alice's perspective. Interesting that this book brings up Alice's fears that God has punished her by making her deaf - it kind of gets waved away by her dad saying that she's one of God's favourites.
I liked the depiction of the manual alphabet on the cover - I'm assuming it's what the French sign langage (LSF) manual alphabet looked like back in Alice's day, because it's slightly different from modern ASL and according to wikipedia, also slightly different from modern LSF. ( )

3starP
Grades K-3
Watercolor

The story of a deaf girl who inspired Thomas Gallaudet to travel to France, learn sign language, and start a school for the Deaf.

"[Gallaudet] describe the Abbe Sicard and Laurent Clerc, a young teacher who had been deaf since early childhood. What do you think of these men? Do you think you can learn the French sign alphabet on your fingers? Try. Perhaps it will be the one I shall use. In the meantime, write me some long letters! Alice wrote back, 'You 1 year come back do do do. People tell me no no no you 3 year come back to me...'"

www.biography.com has information on Gallaudet but not on Alice Cogswell (recommended website)
http://www.deafplanet.com ( )

This is a book about Alice Cogswell and Thomas Gallaudet and the birth of American Sign Language. This would be a great way to help students understand more about deaf people and the language they speak. I think it would be fun to reinforce by teaching students various words in ASL. ( )