What Is American Sign Language?

By: Gail Herman, Who HQ

Published by Penguin Young Readers Group, 2026-04-21

Learn about the history of American Sign Language, from its origins in older signed languages to its role in the education of deaf and hearing children today in this illustrated chapter book!

American Sign Language (ASL) has played a crucial role in history of the United States, from education and politics to arts and sports. Not simply a transcription of spoken English, ASL is its own language with unique grammar and structure. In this fact-filled history of American Sign Language, readers will learn about the important figures in the development of ASL, the Deaf community and their fight not only for the right to an education but the right to use ASL at all, and the use of ASL across our country today.

For instance, did you know that early humans likely used signs to communicate before the development of spoken language? Or that Martha's Vineyard, an island off of Massachusetts, used to have a community of deaf and hearing people who communicated almost exclusively in their own sign language? You may be interested to learn that the football huddle, in which teams share plays by standing shoulder to shoulder, was invented by a team of deaf players from what is now Gallaudet University. All of this and more is included in What Is American Sign Language?