Books with Deaf / Hard-of-Hearing Characters

It can be hard to find good Deaf and ASL representation in literature. So I decided to go on a quest to find as many fiction books as possible portraying deaf and/or hard-of-hearing characters or books written by deaf and/or hard-of-hearing authors.


Below is a list of books with
Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Characters:

Book titles are italicized 

 Books I have read are in bold text 

Note: This will be updated as I find and read more books.  Additionally, these books are not ranked, but as I read them, and if the representation doesn’t feel authentic, I will be removing the books. This means the list is not static. Any that I have read, liked, and recommend can be purchased here to support indie bookstores or click the button at the bottom of the page.

Please note how I am using the asterisks:
  •  Written by a Deaf / Hard-of-Hearing author *
  • Written by an ASL interpreter OR hearing author that has a D/HH family member **

Click the arrow to view the books:

Children’s Books
  • The Silent Sunset by Mike Dorsey*
  • My Monster Truck Goes Everywhere with Me by Kathleen Marcath**
  • I’m Deaf and that’s Okay by Emily Bisby*
  • Sammy and the Great Lakes Adventure by Frederick Miller III*
  • Sign About book collection by Anthony Lewis
  • Sign About Meal Time
  • Sign About Play Time
  • Sign About Getting Ready
  • BOY by Phil Cummings
  • Mara Hears in Style by Terri Clemmons
  • My Hearing, My Way by Dr. Stacey Armas**
  • Mila Gets Her Super-Ears by Ashley Machovec**
  • Dancing Hands: A Story of Friendship in Filipino Sign Language by Joanna Que and Charina Marquez
  • Mighty Mila by Katie Petruzziello**
  • Daisy Doo: All the Sounds She Knew by Daisy Kent*
  • My Deaf Friend Can Do Anything You Can Do by Tanesha Ausby**
  • Listen by Shannon Stocker
  • Gracie’s Ears by Debbie Blackington
  • Super Kena by Cymbaulk
  • Dachy’s Deaf by Jack Hughes
  • I am Deaf by Jennifer Moore-Mallinos and Maria Fabrega
  • Deafinitely Awesome: The Story of Acorn  by Timy Sullivan as told by Mary L. Motley
  • All the Ways I Hear You by Stephanie Marrufo**
  • I DEAF-initely Can: Rhett the Heeler by Karlie Waldrip*
  • Can Bears Ski? By Raymond Antrobus* and Polly Dunbar
  • Maxi’s Super Ears by Maggie Klein
  • Freddie and The Fairy by Julia Donaldson and Karen George
  • Nita’s Day by Kathy MacMillan
  • Sound Switch Wonder by Christine Ko and Owen Whang**
  • Listening to the Quiet by Cassie Silva
  • Come Over to My House by Eliza Hull and Sally Rippin**
  • William Hoy Story by Nancy Churnin
  • So Much More to Helen! by Meeg Pincus
  • Hands and Hearts by Donna Jo Napoli**
  • Butterfly on the Wind by Adam Pottle and Ziyue Chen*
  • Papa… Can You Hear Me Now? by Dr. Amit Gosalia
Middle Grade
  • Song for a Whale by Lynne Kelly**
  • Harriet Versus the Galaxy by Samantha Baines*
  • Won’t Someone Help Anna? by Francine Pascal and Jamie Suzanne (Sweet Valley Twins)
  • The Babysitter’s Club: Jessi’s Secret Language by Chan Chou
  • Show Me a Sign series by Ann Clare LeZotte*
    • Show Me a Sign (Book 1)
    • Set Me Free (Book 2)
    • Sail Me Away Home (Book 3)
  • T4 by Ann Clare LeZotte*
  • Deer Run Home by Ann Clare LeZotte*
  • deaf Not Deaf by Christian Fusco**
  • El Deafo by CeCe Bell*
  • Next Door by Deborah Kerbel and Isaac Liang*
  • Deaf Kids Can series by Mickey Carolan**
    1. Sky the Deaf Home Run Hero 
    2. Bonnie and the Deaf Bake Squad 
  • Hello, Universe by Erin Entrada Kelly
  • Hurt Go Happy by Ginny Rorby
  • Waiting for a Sign by Etsy Schachter**
  • The Words in My Hands by Asphyxia*
  • Hear Me by Kerry O’Malley Cerra*
  • The Sound of Silence by Myron Uhlberg
  • The Night the Moon Went Out by Samantha Baines
  • Major and Mynah by Karen Owen
  • You Don’t Know Everything, Jilly P! by Alex Gino
  • Swishing by Victoria Monroe and Shawn Richardson*
  • That Deaf Guy! by Matt and Kay Daigle*
  • Deaf Child Crossing by Marlee Matlin*
  • Nobody’s Perfect by Marlee Matlin*
Young Adult
  • The Silence Between Us by Alison Gervais*
  • A Game Most Foul by Alison Gervais*
  • You’re Welcome, Universe by Whitney Gardner*
  • Give Me a Sign by Anna Sortino*
  • On the Bright Side  by Anna Sortino*
  • A Quite Kind of Thunder by Sara Barnard
  • Deeplight by Frances Hardinge
  • Unravel by Amelia Loken*
  • The Whispering Dark by Kelly Andrew*
  • Your Blood, My Bones by Kelly Andrew*
  • I am Made of Death by Kelly Andrew*
  • Tone Deaf by Olivia Rivers
  • There Will be Lies by Nick Lake
  • Whisper by Chrissie Keighery
  • Seafire by Natalie C. Parker
  • Hunting Sirens by Mary Mecham
  • MoonCakes by Suzanne Walker (author) and Wendy Xu (illustrator)
  • M.F.K. by Nilah Magruder 
  • Dust by Alison Stine
  • Enchanting Songs for Silent Sirens by Laura Greenwood
  • Raven River Academy (series) by Ruby Vincent (deaf side character)
  • Kat’s Fall by Shelley Hrdlitschka
Adult
  • A Sign for Home by Blair Fell**
  • True Biz by Sara Novic*
  • Girl at War by Sara Novic*
  • Into the Drowning Deep by Seanan McGuire
  • Dark Pines by Will Dean
  • The Quality of Silence by Rosamund Lupton
  • Silent Fear by Lance and Jame Morcan
  • Dead Silence by Robin Caroll
  • Into the Dark by Karen Rose
  • The Signal by Mike Duke
  • Flirting with Flame by Samantha Jayce
  • A Sign of Her Own by Sarah Marsh*
  • Deafening by Frances Itani**
  • The Dolphin House by Audrey Schulman
  • Talismans, Teacups, and Trysts (Alderwood Regency Fantasies Book 1)  by K. Starling** (deaf side character)
  • Wrath’s Daughter (The Chaos Series) by A.E. Crosby**
  • The Heart is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers
  • Paige Northwood Series by Nell Pattison*
    • The Silent House
    • Silent Night
    • The Silent Suspect
  • The Magic Thief and the Whisper Heath by Effie Laroe** (deaf side character)
  • The Daisy Chain Reaction by A.C. Toy*
  • Secrets Don’t Stay Buried by J.D. Mills*
  • Waiting for a Sign by Esty Schachter
Adult Romance
  • Hunting Sirens by Mary Mecham
  • Quiet Beautiful Things by Samantha Christy
  • The Right Sign by Nia Arthurs
  • Prickly Romance by Nia Arthurs
  • What It Means to be Whole by Andrea Andersen**
  • What It Means to Be Brave by Andrea Andersen**
  • Slap Shot (The D.C. Stars Series) by Chelsea Corto
  • Finding More by Larissa C. Moyer
  • In Our Hands by Larissa C. Moyer
  • Unspoken by Sandi Lynn
  • Make You Mine by E.M. Lindsey
  • Only When It’s Us by Chloe Liese
  • A Notorious Vow by Joanna Shupe
  • Friends with Benefits by Laura Brown*
  • Signs of Attraction by Laura Brown*
  • A Cruise Fling by Laura Brown*
  • The Un-Arranged Marriage by Laura Brown*
  • This is Kind of Epic Love Story by Kacen Callender
  • Next of Kin by Hannah Bonam-Young
  • Sounds of Silence by Kari Lemor
    1. Perfect Silence
  • The Silent Duo by Jaci Wheeler
    1. Silent Song 
    2. Silent Words 
  • A Hearing Heart by Bonnie Dee
  • Sign Me Up by Dulcie Dameron
  • Hits Different by Tash Ghouri* and Lizzie Huxley-Jones
  • The Princess of Chaos by Candice Wright
  • Fern’s Decision by Bea Paige
  • Mr. Nice Spy by Tiana Smith**
  • The Tides Between Us (Orchid City #3) by Cali Melle
  • Hear My Heart by Tay Mo’Nae
  • Barbarian’s Touch by Ruby Dixon
  • The Witch Collector (Witch Walker)  by Charissa Weaks (MUTE character who signs) 
  • Little Stranger by Leigh Rivers (MUTE character who signs)
Non-Fiction
  • Living with Hearing Loss and Deafness by Samantha Baines*
  • Deaf Utopia by Nyle DiMarco*
  • I’ll Scream Later by Marlee Matin*
  • Finding Zoe by Brandi Rarus* and Gail Harris
  • Train Go Sorry: Inside a Deaf World by Leah Hager Cohen**
  • Haben: The Deafblind Woman Who Conquered Harvard Law by Haben Girma*
  • The Butterfly Cage by Rachel Zemach**
  • The Sound of Silence: Growing Up with Hearing and Deaf Parents by Myron Uhlberg**
  • Listen: how Evelyn Glennie, A Deaf Girl, Changed Percussion by Shannon Stocker
  • Learn to Sign with Your Baby: 50 Essential ASL Signs to Help Your Child Communicate Their Needs, Wants, and Feelings by Cecilia S. Grugan*
  • Between Two Worlds: My Life as a Child of Deaf Adults by David Sorensen*
  • Hearing Maud by Jessica White*
  • Sounds Like Home by Mary Herring Wright*
  • Deaf Again by Mark Drolsbaugh*
  • Anything but Silent by Mark Drolsbaugh*
  • That Deaf Kid: The Ultimate Guide for Parents of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children by Mark Drolsbaugh*
  • Madness in the Mainstream by Mark Drolsbaugh*
  • Death Beneath by Libby Lael*
  • Convergence Crush by Libby Lael*
  • A Quiet Foghorn: More Notes from a Deaf Gay Life by Raymond Luczak*
  • Deaf Like Me by Thomas S. Spradley*
  • America is Immigrants by Sara Novic
Poetry
  • The Perseverance by Raymond Antrobus*
  • Deaf Republic by Ilya Kaminsky*
  • She Carries the Sword by Cheyenna Clearbrook*
  • She Slay the Victory by Cheyenna Clearbrook*

Upcoming Releases:

  • We Should Not Have Come Here by J.D. Mills* (Feb 2026)
  • Stops Along the Way by Anna Sortino* (May 2026)
  • The Daisy Chain Collapse by A.C. Toy* (2026)

Any that I have read, liked, and recommend can be purchased here to support indie bookstores or click below.

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