Kerry O'Malley Cerra – författare

Explore the history of the moon landing through this true story of eleven deaf men who helped NASA and America win the space race!What did it take to put a man in space? To land him safely on the moon? It took years of research-and the help of eleven deaf men! What did they have that hearing researchers at NASA didn't?Take a look inside one part of the journey to the moon, and meet the Gallaudet Eleven: the brave volunteers who helped make it possible. These hidden figures played an important role in NASA's research, and it was their shared disability that made them so vital to the plan: their vestibular systems, a part of the inner ear, did not work, meaning they did not get motion sick. The Gallaudet Eleven were the perfect volunteers for NASA's spinning, whirling tests to learn the effects of space travel on the human body.Whether it meant sitting in a tilting, spinning chair while researchers took notes, or boarding a special Air Force plane that allowed them to experience zero gravity, floating weightlessly in the air-the eleven "bioastronauts" always rose to the occasion, happy to help NASA's mission.Informed by direct correspondence with actual members of the Gallaudet Eleven, Kerry O'Malley Cerra launches this important story into the spotlight. With NASA's new Artemis campaign working toward America's next goal of putting people on the moon's surface once again, there is no better time to learn more about this exciting behind-the-scenes look at the work leading up to the first ever moon landing.

Winner of the Crystal Kite Award, this touching story explores what it mean to be a good friend, how you should react to a bully, and makes the events of September 11th, 2001 personal.In this story about growing up in a difficult part of America’s history, Jake Green is introduced as a cross country runner who wants to be a soldier and an American hero when he grows up.Before he can work far towards these goals, September 11th happens, and it is discovered that one of the hijackers lives in Jake’s town. The children in Jake’s town try to process everything, but they struggle. Jake’s classmate Bobby beats up Jake’s best friend, Sam Madina, just for being an Arab Muslim. According to his own code of conduct, Jake wants to fight Bobby for messing with his best friend. The situation gets more complicated when Sam’s father is detained and interrogated by the FBI. Jake’s mother doubts Sam’s father’s innocence. Jake must choose between believing his parents and leaving Bobby alone or defending Sam.

Winner of the Crystal Kite Award, this touching story explores what it mean to be a good friend, how you should react to a bully, and makes the events of September 11th, 2001 personal.In this story about growing up in a difficult part of America’s history, Jake Green is introduced as a cross country runner who wants to be a soldier and an American hero when he grows up.Before he can work far towards these goals, September 11th happens, and it is discovered that one of the hijackers lives in Jake’s town. The children in Jake’s town try to process everything, but they struggle. Jake’s classmate Bobby beats up Jake’s best friend, Sam Madina, just for being an Arab Muslim. According to his own code of conduct, Jake wants to fight Bobby for messing with his best friend. The situation gets more complicated when Sam’s father is detained and interrogated by the FBI. Jake’s mother doubts Sam’s father’s innocence. Jake must choose between believing his parents and leaving Bobby alone or defending Sam.

A year after being diagnosed with hearing loss, twelve-year-old Rayne is doing her best to live a “normal” life and act like nothing has changed. But her hearing keeps failing her. Even with hearing aids, she has trouble following conversations and hanging out with her friends the way she used to. Her grades are slipping, surfing is now a wipeout, and she can’t understand the lyrics of her favorite singer’s new songs. Rayne’s parents are pushing for her to get cochlear implants, which could restore her hearing—though she would hear sounds differently than she did before her hearing loss.Rayne isn''t convinced the surgery for CIs is worth the risks and challenges. In fact, she''s terrified of it. She begs her parents to consider other options, but they''re not budging.With the surgery looming, Rayne sets off on a search for alternatives. Along the way, she discovers that “normal” can have many meanings—and that even though her ears may be broken, she is not."Asterisks replace unheard words of dialogue in this moving middle grade novel, based on the author''s own life, that follows an adolescent girl''s struggle with both progressive hearing loss and her parents'' insistence that she get cochlear implants."—The New York Times Book Review"Rayne is a likable protagonist, and readers will root for her. An interesting story of a particular deaf experience."—Kirkus Reviews

Swim with the current, or go against the flow?Savannah has been feeling out of place ever since her family moved to Sandy Dune, Florida. She finds it easier to make friends with animals than people. Plus, everyone in Sandy Dune seems to love spending time in the ocean, and Sav never feels comfortable leaving the shore.When her classmate Tanner invites her to the opening of his family’s restaurant, Sav’s excited—until she’s served a bowl of shark fin soup. Sav has always been scared of sharks, but she’s horrified that they’re inhumanely killed for this expensive delicacy. Especially as she learns more about these surprisingly gentle creatures and discovers that some shark species are being hunted to the point of endangerment. Tanner’s family brushes off her concerns, but Sav resolves to stop them from serving the soup.To do that, she’ll have to learn how to use her voice and face her biggest fears.