Common Sense Media Review
By Sun Cooper
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Deaf heroine saves student in gripping historical novel.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 8+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
In SET ME FREE, readers return to Martha's Vineyard to see 14-year-old Mary wondering what she is going to do with her life. When she is offered a tutoring position in Boston, she returns to the place where she was once kidnapped only to find a desperate young girl who is kept a prisoner in her own home. Summoning her courage again, Mary rallies others to stage a rescue for her student.
Is It Any Good?
Ann Clare LeZotte has written another brilliant addition to the Show Me a Sign series. Weaving in the surprisingly progressive ideals of a more modern-day teacher, the heroine sets a new precedence for empathy in her historic era. Readers will enjoy seeing Mary's story continue in Set Me Free with familiar friends and her community plus new interesting insights to the history, places, and culture of Massachusetts in the early 1800s. This unique tale of a subtly feminist heroine uncovering a true Deaf history and its ableist, racist, and colonialist underpinnings aimed age-appropriately at a middle grade audience is masterfully done.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about and practice the hand sign shown on the book cover of Set Me Free, which means "girl" in American Sign Language. What other words might you enjoy learning how to sign?
In the book, Mary names her student "Ladybird" before she discovers her real name. Why do you think Mary called her by this name?
When Mary tutors her new student, she encounters some challenges in communication. What are some challenges you've faced in communicating your own feelings or needs with others? What are some ways you can practice being a good communicator with others?
Book Details
- Author :
- Genre : Historical Fiction
- Topics : Activism , Adventures , History
- Character Strengths : Communication , Courage , Empathy
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Scholastic Press
- Publication date : September 21, 2021
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 8 - 12
- Number of pages : 288
- Available on : Paperback, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : May 28, 2026
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