I really enjoyed this read. I loved the ASL rep and loved seeing the world through jessie eyes. We had some minor plot elements that i wish were tied up but it was a great balance of info a about the deaf commmunity and a fun look at how dance impact jessie life!! def a new favorite in the seires ( )

I really enjoyed this read. I loved the ASL rep and loved seeing the world through jessie eyes. We had some minor plot elements that i wish were tied up but it was a great balance of info a about the deaf commmunity and a fun look at how dance impact jessie life!! def a new favorite in the seires ( )

A new family moves to Stoneybrook and is looking for a babysitter for their two children, Haley and Matt. Matt is Deaf so their mom helps Jessi to learn some basic sign language to communicate with him. Meanwhile, Jessi is also working hard at her ballet class as a big show is coming up soon.

This book does a nice job of communicating information about deafness and hard of hearing to young readers without being overly didactic. It also shows not just acceptance, but true inclusion as Jessi, the other members of the BSC, friends, family, and neighbors all work to make sure Haley and Matt are both welcomed with open arms. The subplot about Jessi's dance recital also subtly provides a good message about working hard and being a good sport. ( )

4.5 ( )

It's nice to have a BSC book that concentrates almost entirely on one member! Even so, 30 (thirty!) other characters manage to make appearances throughout the book.

Jessi starts at a new ballet school and has a brief, mild conflict with a couple other dancers that doesn't amount to much. She also takes on a new babysitting job where she agrees to start learning ASL as one of the children, Matt, is deaf. But Jessi finds she needs to pay more attention to his sister, Haley, who is having some sibling issues with resentment and coping. Eventually, the two storylines come together for a feel-good night at the ballet.

It was all quite enjoyable, but I wondered a bit about the representation. Deaf reviewer Leigh Ann recently posted a very sharp critique of the original 1988 novel on Goodreads. In updating the story for this graphic novel over three decades later, some -- but not all -- of the problems Leigh Ann highlights seem to have been remedied or softened. ( )