Macy McMillan and the Rainbow Goddess

Macy McMillan and the Rainbow Goddess by Shari Green (ISBN: 978-1772780178)

Okay, time to recap.  Things this pink librarian loves:

- bright colors

- sweet baked goods

- Schneider Family Book Award winners

- books (especially that connect to our summer reading themes)

- the New England Patriots

This next book checks all but one of those boxes.  Can you guess which one it does not?  If you guessed football, you guessed correctly. (Tom Brady, I still love you forever.)  So back to Macy McMillan... she's a hearing impaired girl being raised by a single mother whose life is pretty great.  But all of that is about to change as her mother plans to remarry a guy with two kids of his own who lives on another side of town.  Macy's best friend will no longer be within biking distance, and her new family is not yet fluent in American Sign Language (ASL).  Macy can really only imagine a dim future.  To make matters worse, Macy's mother insists that she go next door and assist her elderly neighbor in packing up her home for an eventual move into an assisted living facility.  Macy has only ever known Ms. Iris to be cranky, and the older woman doesn't know a single sign (unless you count a pretty nasty face scowl as the universal language for 'get-off-my-lawn').

Yet upon entering Iris' house, Macy discovers rooms painted in beautiful rainbow shades, shelves full of carefully curated books, and the scent of cookies wafting from the kitchen.  Iris is a woman with lots of stories to tell, and as the two women learn to communicate through notes and gestures, Macy begins to understand that a long view of time and friendship is the only way to weather the temporary swells and storms of life.  This book provides a glimpse into the deaf experience, as well as a lovely perspective on aging and end-of-life issues.  Definitely deserving of the various accolades it has so far received, Macy McMillan is a quick and delightful read about a girl who is really like all of us: yearning to be heard and understood.

Want more? The following video shows multiple images and quotes that the author compiled to reveal important elements, themes, and moments of the story.  It's just a fun, visual way to explore the story a bit!

Homemade tees: Iris is an expert baker and cookies sort of become a traded language throughout the story.  Especially at her age, this shirt probably sums up Iris' philosophy regarding life and sweets:

Or, if you were wanting to show some specific love to Macy and other individuals with hearing impairments (or rainbow goddesses in general), try this shirt instead!