deaf not Deaf

Rian is starting her sixth grade year in a new home and at a new school in Northeast Philadelphia. On her first day, she is greeted by Shack, the class bully, who wastes no time breaking one of her cochlear implants. She’s used to feeling like an outsider, but nothing could prepare her for life at John Hancock Elementary. Her teachers can’t pronounce her name, the “normal” kids think she’s Deaf and the Deaf kids think she’s a joke, especially Luis Rodriguez, a Deaf boy who uses American Sign Language to communicate with his small circle of family and friends.

deaf not Deaf is a story about an unlikely friendship between Rian and Luis, two sixth graders who understand deafness in very different ways. Drawn together by a common enemy, Rian, Luis and their small group of misfit friends hatch a ghoulish plan to get revenge on Shack once and for all…but will their idea be an epic success or will playing with the supernatural come back to haunt them in the end?


“Fusco’s fast-moving and engaging story of the experiences of children with different types of hearing loss in an urban public school classroom rings true to the significant challenges faced by this population of children. Like in the story WONDER, deaf not Deaf addresses the pervasive misunderstanding of hearing loss and the teasing and bullying children often endure. The issues of Deaf Culture are skillfully woven throughout the story. The overarching issue in this story focuses on the fact that communication in all forms is important and should be valued. Unexpected twists in the story bring the students together in friendship and understanding. This is a must read book for middle grade students.”

Dr. Diane Heller Klein
Professor Emeritus Deaf Education