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The Gift of the Girl Who Couldn't Hear
Normally friendly and cheerful Eliza Westfield has recently turned bad-tempered and thirteen. Suddenly the things she wants most, like a role in the school musical, seem hopelessly out of reach. When tryouts are announced, she cannot bring herself to sign up. Her best friend Lucy, who has been Deaf since birth, decides to audition for a singing role. As Eliza teaches Lucy to sing, her confusion begins to dissolve, and together the girls learn about courage, friendship and limitations -- both real and self-imposed.
Library Binding
First published January 1, 1991
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About the author
Susan Richards Shreve
72 books85 followersAlso know as Susan Shreve. Received the following awards: Jenny Moore Award, George Washington University, 1978; Notable Book citation, American Library Association (ALA), 1979, for Family Secrets: Five Very Important Stories; Best Book for Young Adults citation, ALA, 1980, for The Masquerade; Notable Children's Trade Book in the Field of Social Studies, National Council for Social Studies and the Children's Book Council joint committee, 1980, for Family Secrets: Five Very Important Stories; Guggenheim award in fiction, 1980; National Endowment for the Arts fiction award, 1982; Edgar Allan Poe Award, Mystery Writers of America, 1988, for Lucy Forever and Miss Rosetree, Shrinks; Woodrow Wilson fellowships, West Virginia Wesleyan, 1994, and Bates College, 1997; Lila Wallace Readers Digest Foundation grant.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
August 18, 2025
This was a favorite book of mine growing up and as an adult in my 30s I returned to it after recently remembering the title. All I could remember was the two girls in skirts on the cover. :D
This short story is dated, but the lessons of friendship hold true and still packs a punch. The problems Eliza and Lucy face are some of the same ones teens/tweens/people of all ages face today. I like how even though the story is short, you still get invested in this little town and all of the characters and how much the annual musical means to everybody. It really is worth reading.
This short story is dated, but the lessons of friendship hold true and still packs a punch. The problems Eliza and Lucy face are some of the same ones teens/tweens/people of all ages face today. I like how even though the story is short, you still get invested in this little town and all of the characters and how much the annual musical means to everybody. It really is worth reading.
January 25, 2025
3.5 stars
October 23, 2017
A sweet, feel - good book. This story is great for tweens struggling with self image and the changes they're experiencing in puberty.
December 19, 2016
Lucy, who is deaf, and Eliza, who is a talented singer, have been best friends practically since birth. Now that they are in middle school, Lucy is the more confident of the two girls, while Eliza struggles to like herself. When it comes time to audition for the school musical, Eliza isn't sure she has the guts to try out – until Lucy, who can't sing a note, announces that she will try out as well.
This book takes the familiar middle grade theme of changing friendships between girls and brings it to a new level by introducing a deaf character. Though Lucy is a somewhat romanticized character, it is Eliza's observations of her and of middle school life in general that make the story so interesting. Though it is clear from the first chapter that this book is on the older side, with references to being born in 1977, and playing with Fisher-Price Little People, much of what happens is every bit as relevant now as it was in the late 1980's. Consider this great insight Eliza has about her friend's interactions with their classmates:
But the fact is, there are things that deaf children don't understand, especially about relationships and how people can be unkind. She doesn't understand, for example, that a girl like Louisa Peale with her sunshine smile can say terrible things about a person behind their back. Lucy understands hitting because she can see what is going on. But she doesn't understand the cruelty of girls because often it's practiced in secret.
Any girl who has ever attended middle school understands that difficult truth about the way girls can sometimes treat each other, and I like the way this book encourages readers to think about how that situation might change or not depending on a girl's ability to hear.
This book is also a great example of friendship rising above the adversity of middle school. Eliza and Lucy might be opposites, but they are always there for each other, in any way they can be, despite what others might say or do. I think girls appreciate seeing fictional friendships survive the turbulence of middle school because it gives them hope that their own friendships will make it as well.
For more books portraying kids with disabilities in a positive light, try the McKenna books from American Girl, in which McKenna's tutor uses a wheelchair, and the Aldo Zelnick series where Aldo has a classmate who is deaf and communicates using sign language.
This book takes the familiar middle grade theme of changing friendships between girls and brings it to a new level by introducing a deaf character. Though Lucy is a somewhat romanticized character, it is Eliza's observations of her and of middle school life in general that make the story so interesting. Though it is clear from the first chapter that this book is on the older side, with references to being born in 1977, and playing with Fisher-Price Little People, much of what happens is every bit as relevant now as it was in the late 1980's. Consider this great insight Eliza has about her friend's interactions with their classmates:
But the fact is, there are things that deaf children don't understand, especially about relationships and how people can be unkind. She doesn't understand, for example, that a girl like Louisa Peale with her sunshine smile can say terrible things about a person behind their back. Lucy understands hitting because she can see what is going on. But she doesn't understand the cruelty of girls because often it's practiced in secret.
Any girl who has ever attended middle school understands that difficult truth about the way girls can sometimes treat each other, and I like the way this book encourages readers to think about how that situation might change or not depending on a girl's ability to hear.
This book is also a great example of friendship rising above the adversity of middle school. Eliza and Lucy might be opposites, but they are always there for each other, in any way they can be, despite what others might say or do. I think girls appreciate seeing fictional friendships survive the turbulence of middle school because it gives them hope that their own friendships will make it as well.
For more books portraying kids with disabilities in a positive light, try the McKenna books from American Girl, in which McKenna's tutor uses a wheelchair, and the Aldo Zelnick series where Aldo has a classmate who is deaf and communicates using sign language.
November 6, 2025
- mentions Lucy's "foghorn voice" twice.
"Gradually, through the years, people have gotten used to her peculiar voice and have learned to understand her flat way of talking. Besides, she has so much personality you often forget she's deaf." The thing is -- we don't see this personality first hand in the novel. Instead here is how Lucy is described:
"But she doesn't understand the cruelty of girls because often it's practised in secret."
This is interesting to consider. Let's say she doesn't FULLY understand...
"Lucy believes exactly what she sees. She doesn't understand the complicated and competitive life of girls in the seventh grade."
This is infantilizing Lucy. She's been living in the world her whole life and would surely come to understand it more and more as time goes by -- including the fact that things aren't always as they seem.
What is Lucy's gift? I suppose her gift is that she helps the protagonist.
The cover: The description of the girls in the novel makes it unclear who is who. The protagonist has "black curly hair similar to that of a French poodle" so which of the two girls is she?!? She is also described by herself and by others as "fat".
"Gradually, through the years, people have gotten used to her peculiar voice and have learned to understand her flat way of talking. Besides, she has so much personality you often forget she's deaf." The thing is -- we don't see this personality first hand in the novel. Instead here is how Lucy is described:
"But she doesn't understand the cruelty of girls because often it's practised in secret."
This is interesting to consider. Let's say she doesn't FULLY understand...
"Lucy believes exactly what she sees. She doesn't understand the complicated and competitive life of girls in the seventh grade."
This is infantilizing Lucy. She's been living in the world her whole life and would surely come to understand it more and more as time goes by -- including the fact that things aren't always as they seem.
What is Lucy's gift? I suppose her gift is that she helps the protagonist.
The cover: The description of the girls in the novel makes it unclear who is who. The protagonist has "black curly hair similar to that of a French poodle" so which of the two girls is she?!? She is also described by herself and by others as "fat".
November 21, 2014
This is a short, quick read for preteens. I picked it up because it mentioned that one of the main characters is a girl who is deaf. I really enjoyed how the book ended and feel that it is a touching and appropriate read for intermediate school kids.
January 18, 2009
it was really sad and nice. the deaf girl helps her a lot at the end by giving her what she wants but is too scared to get. shes very selfless. i thought it was cool.
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February 5, 2009JAR4-Shr
May 8, 2012
Lacking confidence in herself, she doesn't sign up to try out for the play Annie., the deaf friend signs her up for tryouts because it's what they both really want.
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December 31, 2013AR Quiz No. 6612 EN Fiction
Accelerated Reader Quiz Information IL: MG - BL: 4.9 - AR Pts: 2.0
Accelerated Reader Quiz Type Information AR Quiz Types: RP, VP
Accelerated Reader Quiz Information IL: MG - BL: 4.9 - AR Pts: 2.0
Accelerated Reader Quiz Type Information AR Quiz Types: RP, VP
September 12, 2016
I'm greatly disappointed the view of deaf people in this book.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews