True Biz by Sara Nović
#8: Read literary fiction by a BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, and/or disabled author.
Set in a boarding school for Deaf students, this novel’s characters include Charlie, a new student, and February, an alumna and headmistress trying to save the school. It also contains lots of background on Deaf culture and illustrations of American Sign Language. Some of the students, like Austin, come from Deaf, signing families, while Charlie comes from a hearing family. Growing up without access to sign language was socially isolating for Charlie. Her story also shows that many Deaf people don’t want cochlear implants. In Charlie’s case, her implants are dangerous. She crews for a school production ofPeter Panand joins a diverse, rebellious group of friends. —Grace Lapointe