Take Your Shot

Duke the Deaf Dog Series Chapter Books

by Kelly Brakenhoff, Caterina Baldi

Duke the Deaf Dog takes on basketball, learning that teamwork, resilience, and communication are key. With his hearing aid and sign language, Duke helps his team find their rhythm. Perfect for ages 6-10, this heartwarming story shows that being different is a superpower. Celebrate the power of working together and achieving goals with Duke and his friends.

Discover Duke's adventures today and inspire young readers with lessons on Deaf culture, teamwork, and the fun of sports!

61 pages, Paperback

Published September 23, 2024

About the author

Kelly Brakenhoff is the author of 17 books and a seasoned ASL interpreter. She splits her writing energy between two series: cozy mysteries set on a college campus and children’s books featuring Duke the Deaf Dog.

In 2025, two of her children’s books were selected for the CBC Favorites Award Lists, honored by teachers and librarians nationwide for excellence in children's literature. Parents, kids, and educators love the Duke the Deaf Dog books and activity guides because they introduce ASL and the Deaf community through engaging stories.

And if you enjoy a smart female sleuth, want to learn more about Deaf culture, or have lived in a place where livestock outnumber people, the Cassandra Sato Mystery series will have you connecting the dots faster than a group project thrown together the night before it’s due.

A proud mom to four adults, head of the dog-snuggling department, and grandma to a growing brood of perfectly behaved grandkids, Kelly and her husband call Nebraska home.

Reviews

[Leona Ennis · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story includes a deaf basketball coach, a hearing-abled assistant coach and a team with two deaf players and the rest being hearing players. It covers the obstacles and advantages brought to the basketball season due to this mix. While there are issues in playing basketball with both hearing and non-hearing members this group can become an actual team. All members of the team have some assets and some liabilities. The author weaves these together easily in the story to show that obstacles can be overcome. I highly recommend this book to learn the secrets to becoming a well- functioning basketball team despite the obstacles!. It is a good story to learn about competition, communication, and cooperation. I highly recommend this book. I read an ARC of this book but the opinions expressed here are strictly my own. I particularly liked the questions at the end of each chapter that make the reader think about what happened in that chapter and how it could relate to the reader’s experiences and life!