No Joking

Students at the River Valley school for the deaf want to live a normal teenage life: make friends, fall in love, study, and take exams. They also want politicians, doctors, and parents to stop telling them what to do with... their bodies. Among the characters in the book is a girl named Charlie, who has never communicated with other deaf people before, a boy named Austin, who grew up in a family where deafness is passed down from generation to generation, and the school principal February, the daughter of deaf parents, who does everything she can to keep River Valley from closing. But both in the country and in the lives of each hero, dramatic events occur, and they must either accept the changes or fight for the right to decide how to live their lives moving forward.