Overview

Mateo doesn't just play basketball. He lives it. He's a point guard who sees every play before it happens. But when he joins a new club team, he starts hiding his hearing aids before practice. If the other kids don't see them, maybe he can just be the kid who's good at basketball. Not the kid with the hearing aids. It works until it doesn't. He misses a play call during a game. And his cousin Diego, the one person who sees through all of it, is asking the questions Mateo doesn't want to answer. A realistic story about identity, courage, and what it takes to stop hiding who you are. Signs on the Court tells an authentic, empowering story about growing up Hard of Hearing: the daily effort, the tough choices, and the allies who make a difference. Filled with basketball, family, humor, and heart, this book shows every kid that owning who you are is the strongest play you can make. Perfect for readers ages 8-13, classrooms, book clubs, and anyone who has ever hidden a part of themselves to fit in. Reading Level: Grade 4 Interest Level: Grades 3-8 Genre: Realistic Fiction

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Reviews

""I love that your books focus on driving home the message that the student is not the problem. It validates students who have been surviving systems not built for them - and offers a vision of what inclusion can look like when we stop asking kids to adapt alone."" -Katie O., Teacher of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing ""I can instantly think of a few kiddos that would LOVE this book. It offers perspective, conflict and a very clear resolution."" -Emily H., ASL Interpreter, CODA ""As a person with late in life hearing loss, I felt seen. You really captured the experience of hearing aids, hearing too much, the exhaustion. I am not a sports person but I was flying through the games - they were exciting."" -Rachel T., Person with Hearing Loss ""I want every one of the students on my caseload to read this book, and really understand the way Mateo and his family and team worked to find a solution."" -Beth L., Educational Audiologist ""I love that my daughter can read a fiction book about a child who wears hearing aids."" -Dana L., Person with Hearing Loss, Parent of a Child with Hearing Loss ""I really liked how you explained what it felt/sounded like for Mateo when he was trying to listen in the gym. It was an accurate description and I think could help to give readers an idea of how to describe something similar for themselves."" -Reanne P., Person with Hearing Loss, Educational Audiologist ""We're used to living in a world lately where differences between us cause divisions, but Katherine shines a light on what unites us if we're just given enough knowledge and understanding about hearing loss to become powerful allies."" -Coleen W., Teacher of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing ""This is how it is for kids with hearing loss - in school, with friends, and on the basketball court. Such a realistic contribution to the field that readers are going to love!"" -Andrea A., Parent of a Child with Hearing Loss, Classroom Teacher ""Mateo is just like any other kid except he wears hearing aids, and despite how great Mateo is in basketball, he still misses some calls and he talked to his teacher and coach to find a solution."" -Colleen V., Person with Hearing Loss, Parent of Children with Hearing Loss

Author Information

Katherine S. Rybak spent over 30 years as a special education teacher, culminating in her work as a Teacher of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. Born hard of hearing herself, she brings both professional expertise and lived experience to her writing. Katherine is the creator of the Hearing Empowered series, which includes resources for children, adults, and families navigating life with hearing loss. She lives in Madison, Wisconsin.

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