Effie (white), who is deaf, communicates with sign language, which no one in her family has bothered to learn. Effie and her older sister, Deja, recently moved in with their dad, a heavy drinker who has no interest in them, but their mom didn’t want them living with her anymore. When summer ends, Effie, repeating fifth grade at a new school, finds a familiar, welcome presence in Miss Kathy, her sign language interpreter. Effie’s new English teacher, Mr. Bart, is a positive change from the past, telling Effie that her writing, which reflects the grammar of sign language, is like poetry. Effie also makes friends with Cait, who has cerebral palsy, uses a wheelchair, and is on a mission to free herself from her controlling aid. Miss Kathy, suspecting Effie is neglected at home, makes a visit to confirm this and has soon obtained temporary custody of Effie while a termination of parental rights hearing is initiated. Miss Kathy’s involvement and genuine caring is a relief in the big picture, even as she sometimes pushes Effie to talk about things she isn’t ready to discuss. This includes her stepfather’s past sexual abuse, which Effie has never revealed. This novel-in-verse, loosely based on a news story from the 1990s about an interpreter given custody of the deaf child she worked with, ends with Effie living safely, permanently with Miss Kathy. It’s a welcome resolution, even if not reflective of the complexities for many children facing abuse or neglect.