Listening with My Heart
YA.  The first Miss America with a disability tells her life story in a readable, engaging manner. Although profoundly deaf since the age of 18 months, Whitestone let little stand in her way to achieving her goals: to dance, to compete in pageants, to encourage others, and always to praise God. YAs will be interested in the steps involved in the various competitions that lead up to the Miss America competition, and her pageant platform, STARS (Success Through Action and Realization of your dreamS). After Whitestone won, she became the focus of controversy because she wears a hearing aid, uses oral speech, and occasionally signs in Signing Exact English. Her critics in the deaf community believe that she should communicate through American Sign Language. The controversy continues. The author describes her Miss America year, with the endless demands on her time and energy, the complete lack of privacy, and the times when she was so exhausted that she felt she could not keep going. What has always sustained her is her positive attitude, and her absolute faith in God. This inspirational biography will have wide appeal.?Judy Sokoll, formerly at Fairfax County Public Library, VACopyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.