Charlie and Frog

Author: Karen Kane
Genre: Middle School, Mystery
Type: Hardcover
Pages: 256
Source: Local Public Library
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
First Published: April 10, 2018
First Line: "Charlie's grandparents forgot he was in the room, which is how he ended up watching Vince Vinelli's Worst Criminals Ever!, wrapped in a blanket, terrified yet unable to look away."

Book Description from GoodReads: Charlie Tickler has been unceremoniously dumped with his sedentary, tv-obsessed grandparents in the village of Castle-on-the-Hudson while his parents are off to South Africa to save giant golden moles. Castle-on-the-Hudson may not have cell phone or internet service, but it does have murder, intrigue, and a School for the Deaf. Lonely and bored, Charlie decides to visit the library, where he meets an elderly woman who looks frightened as she tries to tell him something. But Charlie doesn't understand, and when the woman disappears, he searches for an answer.

The answer comes by way of Frog-a local girl who is deaf. Frog reveals the woman's desperate message to Charlie: dead. Charlie has no idea what this could mean, but Frog jumps at the chance to solve a real life mystery, just like her favorite fictional detective character, Dorrie McCann.

Now, Charlie must learn American Sign Language to keep up with quick-witted Frog. He soon discovers new ways to communicate while also forging a lasting friendship with the incomparable Frog.

My Rating: 4 stars

My Review: Charlie and Frog is an entertaining book that features a great friendship between two plucky kids who try to solve a mystery. There are some good twists, nefarious baddies and quirky humour throughout but it's the unique characters and setting, as well as the inclusion of ASL (American Sign Language) and Deaf culture, that makes this book stand out from the rest.

As a former Sign Language Interpreter myself, I was eager to read a book featuring a Deaf main character. The author, who is also an ASL/English Interpreter, impressively incorporates aspects of Deaf culture, language and Deaf pride within the story. For readers who are eager to get their 'hands in the air', the beginning of each chapter features an ASL sign that is prominent in the following chapter, and the chapter titles are written in both English and fingerspelled. 

The story follows Charlie, a boy who has had a lonely life with oddball parents and extremely sedentary grandparents, all of whom are inept at raising kids and don't pay him enough attention. When Charlie sees Aggie, a Deaf woman who appears to be in trouble, she signs something to him and then promptly disappears. Suddenly, a couple of suspicious men are asking about Aggie's whereabouts, so Charlie enlists the help of Francine (aka 'Frog'), a Deaf girl about his own age, for help deciphering the sign Aggie used.

Charlie and Frog is a fun and entertaining story that features a mystery that will keep readers guessing, an engaging friendship and some Deaf culture and ASL t'boot.  The book gives hearing readers a better idea of what it means to be Deaf and also features a heartwarming message: 'good people do good things'.  This would be a great pick for Middle School readers.