By Terri Clemmons
Our whole family had their hearing tested when our oldest son was diagnosed with a sensorineural hearing loss at age 4 years old. A few years later, his younger twin siblings also have hearing loss.
My own hearing test revealed mild to moderate hearing loss that gradually worsened as I aged. The doctor's theory was that I had mild hearing loss as a child and compensated enough to mask the hearing loss. I've worn hearing aids for over 20 years and am thankful the technology has dramatically improved since those early days.
As a young mom, I read many picture books with my children and fell in love with them. As an elementary school teacher for 25 years, I used picture books at every level because they are truly for everyone. I'd get ideas, write the stories, and tuck them away because the publishing process felt daunting.
But it was always something I thought I would eventually pursue, and when I realized it was time to get serious, I joined the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, a children’s writing organization that helps with networking and advice, and the journey to publication began.
“Mara Hears in Style” is the book I wish my three children had when they were young. I wrote the book so that children who wear hearing aids will see themselves in a book and be seen, but I also wanted Mara's character to be relatable to all children. Any child who feels different and worries about making friends—especially at the beginning of a school year with new classmates—will connect with Mara's story.
Mara's first day at her new school is filled with ups and downs surrounding her hearing aids: Her teacher doesn't remember to turn on her microphone, the lunchroom is too chaotic for speechreading (lipreading), and she keeps reading the same question over and over on her classmates' lips: "What's in her ears?"
But after a morning spent navigating these challenges, Mara makes a connection on the playground and finds that her hearing aid superpowers are perfect for making new friends.
As a veteran teacher who taught for twenty-five years, Terri enjoys sharing her book with students in classrooms or libraries both in person or virtually.
A line in the story reads, "My hearing aids help me hear like your glasses help you see." Normalizing wearing hearing aids is important in the book, so I hope more teachers, librarians, and families will discover Mara's story.
I worked with Lucy Rogers, a deaf illustrator, who created a gorgeous cover and beautiful illustrations that bring all the characters to life. Her ability to show emotions is phenomenal. The way she was able to illustrate sign language is fantastic and accessible, and I hope children will develop an interest in learning American Sign Language.
I have another picture book out on submission that addresses the discovery of the need for hearing aids and the process of adjusting to them. I'm also revising a middle-grade novel that features a main character who wears hearing aids in a story about friendship and sports.
It's important to me that kids wearing hearing devices of any kind see themselves in children’s books because representation matters.
Terri Clemmons lives in the Midwest. For more about her children’s book “Mara Hears in Style,” including resources for caregivers, educators, and children, see terriclemmons.com.
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“Mara Hears in Style” is the book I wish my three children had when they were young and newly diagnosed with hearing loss. I wrote the book so that children who wear hearing aids will see themselves in a book and be seen, but I also wanted Mara's character to be relatable to all children.