by Jennifer Matos

You know that Marlee Matlin is an Oscar Award® winning actress, and you know that she will be joining the cast of the L Word. 

It’s what you might not know about Marlee Matlin that would surprise you.

The actress, activist, Girl Scout leader, wife and mother of four is also an author.  It’s no wonder that she has been recognized by AOL with a “CEO”, or “Chief Everything Officer” annual award.  According to AOL, the award goes to “everyday men and women who have the extraordinary ability to balance work, career, children and much more, and yet still have time for themselves.”

Matlin has written two books with all of that “extra time”.  Her first book published in 2002, Deaf Child Crossing, Matlin draws upon her own experience to create the character of Megan, an average girl with a temperament that sometimes gets the upper hand.  Matlin addresses the issue of deafness without martyring any of the characters and promises to resonate with readers well after they have set the book down.  Barnes and Noble editors give the book a “thumbs up” review saying the work is “a fair-minded novel that should change perceptions of folks with different abilities. Deaf Child Crossing will have children and adults sitting up and taking notice.”

The companion book to Deaf Child Crossing is Nobody’s Perfect, released in 2006.  The book follows the story of the main protagonist, Megan, as she tries to befriend a new girl at school who is not exactly what she seems.  Similar to her first literary accomplishment, Nobody’s Perfect contains lessons that can be appreciated by children and adults alike.  Kirkus Reviews compliments the book claiming that it’s “heads above the companion volume.”

Both books are written for audiences aged 8-12 years old and are published by Simon and Schuster.