Major and Mynah
This heartwarming story follows Callie and Grace, the founding members of the Super Perceptive Undercover Detectives group (SPUD), as they try to undercover the cause behind a series of thefts in their neighbourhood. All the while, Callie is learning to live life with her new hearing aids.
Everything is so scary and loud when Callie wears her hearing aids, and they whistle and make her ears itch. Worst of all when they begin to beep in warning when their battery life is about to end. Callie is not a fan. However, as the story unfolds, Callie learns that life with her hearing aids has its perks. Most unusually, when Callie is wearing her hearing aids, she can communicate with a Mynah bird called Bo, who ends up helping SPUD with solving their first detective case. Getting hearing aids in childhood can be confusing and frustrating. With the help of Grace and Bo, Callie becomes comfortable wearing them, seeing them as an advantage rather than something to be self-conscious about.
Major and Mynah is the first in a series of books that open up a conversation about hearing loss and hearing devices to children in an age-appropriate manner. Owen balances information with entertainment excellently. Full of humour, intrigue and heartfelt moments, Callie and Grace promise to be characters that readers will connect with.
