2-3-4 Challenge Book Discussions #1 discussion

Frank goes to see the Isenbergs who are deaf but have hearing children who use sign language. Talk about what happened there.

I was very impressed that the Isenberg boy taught Frank's son how to sign their names right off the bat.

I loved how this scene was written and what it accomplished. It was more about doing than telling and all in the hands of the children. They showed Frank what Brian could learn in the space of minutes and when he signed, “father,” it brought tears to my eyes.

Oh, me too, Jonetta. That scene just killed me. It seemed like Frank's heart was about to burst from his chest. It also showed how hungry for stimulus and knowledge Brian is. I also loved how FRank got to see that for the deaf couple's children, a hearing impairment is totally within their realm of "normal" and nothing to get worked up about.

I don’t think Frank was this emotional when he first learned that Brian was deaf and not mentally challenged. He was so overwhelmed with feelings!

I agree, Veronica about him seeing the normalcy of deafness. The hearing children didn’t seem adversely impacted, just a normal day.

I teared up when Brian signed father as well. It was a really touching moment.

That was a fantastic scene. I loved how the little boy taught Brian to sign a few words in a matter of minutes.

Brian seems to be an exceptionally bright child.

Loved that scene. It was so good seeing Brian interact with another child who didn't think there was anything wrong or strange with him.
Frank got to see that a normal life for his son is possible, and that's more than he dared to hope until that moment. No wonder he was so overwhelmed.

On another note, will Frank have to go to deaf school too? Someone has to teach him sign language for him to communicate with Brian.

Absolutely. He’s going to have to learn to sign. So will his mother:)

This was such a wonderful and heartwarming scene. It is so important for frank to be able to communicate with his son.

Mrs. Malloy's attitude is understandable. She fears becoming obsolete in their lives.