June 23, 2021

Episode 63: Mickey on the Move | Books for Kids with Hearing Loss with Michelle Wagner

On this week's dose of book recommendations, library love, and literary enthusiasm, our Library Laura Podcast guest is Michelle Wagner. Michelle is a full-time realtor, mom, and author who dedicates her time and energy to charities and events supporting children with hearing loss. She's written a picture book for children called Mickey on the Move, based on the story of her son who wears cochlear implants to help him hear. It's a sweet and educational story great for children with hearing loss, their friends, and teachers alike. Stay tuned after the interview for some updates about my own bookish adventures!

Follow Michelle on Instagram at @mickey_on_the_move_ and @michelle.wagner.napa_valley, visit her website, and pick up a copy of her book Mickey on the Move.

Books from today's episode on the Bookshop storefront and the Podcast Blog.

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Books from today's episode

Mickey on the Move by Michelle Wagner - based on the true story of her son, his cochlear implants, and his first days at a new school.

Maxi's Super Ears by Maggie Klein - A book that Michelle found online several years ago and enjoyed reading with Mickey. The main character has cochlear implants.

Michelle mentioned being at the John Tracy Clinic - Southern California - they did a camp there when Mickey was first implanted. They recommended these two books to Michelle for parents: It Takes Two To Talk: A Practical Guide for Parents of Children with Language Delays by Jan Pepper and Talks To Parents by Louise Treadwell Tracy

El Deafo by CeCe Bell - also a great book for kids, parents, and friends of deaf children and children with hearing aids or cochlear implants. Michelle and Mickey have enjoyed this book, and I learned at lot from it when I read it as well.

Show Me A Sign by Anne Clare Lezotte - I read this book recently and remembered it as I was editing the episode. It's a middle grade historical fiction about a community with many hard-of-hearing and deaf members.

Michelle also mentioned seeing this movie - The Sound of Metal - and it providing a really fascinating look at how people hear. It's about a drummer for a metal band who loses his hearing. (Rated R)

In the last few weeks, I had some great bookish adventures at both Parnassus Books and the That Sounds Fun Podcast Tour. I mentioned on the episode that I learned Annie F. Down's favorite book is Christy by Catherine Marshall, which helped inspire her interest in becoming a teacher earlier in her career, and influenced her desire to be involved with Christian Appalachia Project. Here's links to my instagram posts with photos from both of those wonderful days: