,

Kathy MacMillan

Goodreads Author


Born
in Baltimore, MD, The United States
February 11, 1975

Website

Twitter

Genre

Influences
Megan Whalen Turner, Guy Gavriel Kay, Hilari Bell, J.R.R. Tolkien, Ric ...more

Member Since
November 2013

URL


Kathy MacMillan is a writer, American Sign Language interpreter, librarian, and signing storyteller. She writes picture books (the Little Hands Signing series and The Runaway Shirt, Familius Press), children’s nonfiction (She Spoke: 14 Women Who Raised Their Voices and Changed the World, Familius Press), and young adult fantasy. Her debut young adult novel, Sword and Verse (2016) was a finalist for the Compton Crook Award, and its companion novel, Dagger and Coin (2018) has been called a “complex feminist fantasy” by author Heidi Heilig. She has also published 8 resource books for educators, librarians, and parents, including Little Hands and Big Hands: Children and Adults Signing Together (Huron Street Press). Kathy serves as the Mentorshi ...more

To ask Kathy MacMillan questions, please sign up.

Popular Answered Questions

Kathy MacMillan It was originally intended to be, but then one of the other characters stepped up and demanded to have her story told, so I am working on the sequel n…moreIt was originally intended to be, but then one of the other characters stepped up and demanded to have her story told, so I am working on the sequel now. But what I really suspect you are asking is : "Is this one of those books where I am going to invest a lot of time reading it and then it ends in a cliffhanger and I have to wait a year or more to find out what happens?" This book does function as a standalone, with what I hope is a satisfying ending. No cliffhangers here! I do hope that once you read it you will want to spend more time with these characters and want to read the sequel though!(less)
Kathy MacMillan Yes! Though SWORD AND VERSE functions as a standalone (i.e. no cliffhanger ending!), I am working on a sequel that picks up the action in another char…moreYes! Though SWORD AND VERSE functions as a standalone (i.e. no cliffhanger ending!), I am working on a sequel that picks up the action in another character's point of view. The second book should be out in 2018.(less)
Average rating: 3.6 · 3,746 ratings · 726 reviews · 36 distinct worksSimilar authors
Sword and Verse (Sword and ...

3.47 avg rating — 2,793 ratings — published 2016 — 16 editions
Rate this book
Clear rating
Dagger and Coin (Sword and ...

3.72 avg rating — 152 ratings — published 2018 — 4 editions
Rate this book
Clear rating
Nita's First Signs

by
4.53 avg rating — 107 ratings2 editions
Rate this book
Clear rating
The Runaway Shirt

by
3.90 avg rating — 81 ratings4 editions
Rate this book
Clear rating
She Spoke: 14 Women Who Rai...

by
4.26 avg rating — 69 ratings4 editions
Rate this book
Clear rating
Nita's Day: An Interactive ...

by
4.09 avg rating — 55 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
Baby Storytime Magic: Activ...

by
4.07 avg rating — 55 ratings — published 2014
Rate this book
Clear rating
Storytime Magic: 400 Finger...

by
3.82 avg rating — 39 ratings — published 2009 — 5 editions
Rate this book
Clear rating
Little Hands & Big Hands: C...

4.39 avg rating — 23 ratings — published 2013 — 4 editions
Rate this book
Clear rating
Kindergarten Magic: Theme-B...

by
3.63 avg rating — 19 ratings — published 2011 — 2 editions
Rate this book
Clear rating
More books by Kathy MacMillan…

Get 15% off Autographed Books at the DCI Bookstore Holiday Sale!

Autographed books make great gifts – AND your purchase from the Deaf Camps, Inc. Bookstore goes directly toward Deaf Camp scholarships! Get 15% off with code SIGNON. Shop now.  
 •  0 comments  •  flag
Share on Twitter
Published on November 26, 2025 06:00
Sword and Verse Dagger and Coin
(2 books)
by
3.48 avg rating — 2,945 ratings

The Whispering Dark
Rate this book
Clear rating

Kathy MacMillan Kathy MacMillan said: " A spooky paranormal read centered around a deaf character who uses a cochlear implant and also signs a little. Andrew creates a breathtakingly detailed world in which those who brush with death forge a connection to other realities. At the heart of t ...more "

 

Kathy’s Recent Updates

Kathy MacMillan wrote a new blog post

Get 15% off Autographed Books at the DCI Bookstore Holiday Sale!

Autographed books make great gifts – AND your purchase from the Deaf Camps, Inc. Bookstore goes directly toward Deaf Camp scholarships! Get 15% off wi Read more of this blog post »
Kathy MacMillan rated a book it was amazing
Dreams Take Flight by Brittany Richman
Rate this book
Clear rating
This lovely nonfiction picture book tells the true story of Nellie Zabel Willhite, who became the first licensed deaf pilot in the US. The world was far from accommodating when she was growing up as a deaf child in the early 1900s, but with a combina ...more
Kathy MacMillan rated a book it was amazing
Octo, PI and the Mysterious Voice by Sarah McDavis
Rate this book
Clear rating
Octo, PI is back for another adventure, along with trusty sidekicks Tank the chameleon and junior investigator Lightning the hummingbird. This time, there’s a creepy voice (maybe a ghost?) scaring animals at night. Octo has to get to the bottom of it ...more
Kathy MacMillan rated a book it was amazing
The Girl in the Walls by Meg Eden Kuyatt
The Girl in the Walls
by Meg Eden Kuyatt (Goodreads Author)
Rate this book
Clear rating
Meg Eden Kuyatt’s verse is easy to read, drawing the reader into V’s world with its perpetual forward rhythm, but don’t be fooled into thinking that means this book is simple. There’s nothing simple about this spooky story that centers around a ghost ...more
Kathy MacMillan rated a book it was amazing
Cincinnati Lee, Curse Breaker by Heidi Heilig
Rate this book
Clear rating
An intrepid heroine, a race across the world to break a curse, and a thoughtful story—who could ask for more? In Cincinnati Lee, author Heidi Heilig has created a middle grade character who feels immediately classic and yet refreshingly contemporary. ...more
Kathy MacMillan rated a book it was amazing
We Are the Scrappy Ones by Rebekah Taussig
Rate this book
Clear rating
In lyrical prose overflowing with gorgeous imagery, author and disability advocate Rebekah Taussig celebrates the unique and authentic experiences of children with disabilities: “We might move slowly or in zigzags, but we thrum our own tempos to beau ...more
Kathy MacMillan rated a book it was amazing
The Secrets of Underhill by Kali Wallace
The Secrets of Underhill
by Kali Wallace (Goodreads Author)
Rate this book
Clear rating
Another instant-classic middle grade fantasy from Kali Wallace. As in her previous middle grade novels Hunters of the Lost City and City of Islands, Wallace creates a world here that feels both timeless and utterly of its own moment, filled with achi ...more
Kathy MacMillan rated a book it was amazing
Monster Hands by Karen Kane
Rate this book
Clear rating
What do you do when there’s a scary monster under the bed? Scare it away, of course! Milo and his friend Mel communicate in American Sign Language from their neighboring windows, sharing ideas about what to do with that monster. This clever story fea ...more
Kathy MacMillan is currently reading
The Whispering Dark by Kelly Andrew
The Whispering Dark
by Kelly Andrew (Goodreads Author)
Rate this book
Clear rating
A spooky paranormal read centered around a deaf character who uses a cochlear implant and also signs a little. Andrew creates a breathtakingly detailed world in which those who brush with death forge a connection to other realities. At the heart of t ...more
Kathy MacMillan rated a book it was amazing
Deer Run Home by Ann Clare LeZotte
Deer Run Home
by Ann Clare LeZotte (Goodreads Author)
Rate this book
Clear rating
A gorgeous story, told through spare and powerful imagery. LeZotte brings the stark realities of language deprivation—a common experience for many deaf children in hearing families—to light through Effie’s sensitive and observant perspective. And she ...more
More of Kathy's books…
Quotes by Kathy MacMillan  (?)
Quotes are added by the Goodreads community and are not verified by Goodreads. (Learn more)

“What might happen if writing were a shared endeavor, meant t connect people instead of being hoarded as a tool of power and privilege.”
Kathy MacMillan, Sword and Verse

“Mati took in my expression, and a moment later I was in his arms. His kisses washed over me like floodwater over parched earth. I clutched him helplessly, tears falling down my face and mingling with his as he whispered my name.”
Kathy MacMillan, Sword and Verse

Topics Mentioning This Author

topics posts views last activity  
Nothing But Readi...: Brighid BOOKS READ 788 174 Feb 19, 2016 10:03AM  
♥ Young Adult and...: Chelsea's Challenges 37 59 Jan 03, 2017 07:16PM  
English Mysteries...: Currently Reading? 2624 1003 Oct 31, 2025 07:10PM  
220 Goodreads Librarians Group — 306178 members — last activity 1 minute ago
Goodreads Librarians are volunteers who help ensure the accuracy of information about books and authors in the Goodreads' catalog. The Goodreads Libra ...more
No comments have been added yet.