“Told in first-person perspective, Goodbye, Tchaikovsky is a story of courage, adaptation, and the struggle to accept a new way of life. Highly recommended.” – Midwest Book Review

“…a touching portrayal of a boy who just wants to fit in but finds himself pulled between the hearing and the deaf worlds. Ultimately, what he really needs to find is himself.” – Bergers Book Reviews

“Michael Thal’s Goodbye, Tchiakovsky is a great read for entry-level awareness about people with varying degrees of hearing loss. Thal writes about familiar characters that I associate with from my own colorful reality as a deaf person. I was delighted that the main character, David, advanced his visual language skills; he practiced reading (nonverbally) from storybooks with a deaf preschooler who was learning English. The book reminds readers of the importance of literacy for all deaf children.” – Jamie Perlman, Orange County Deaf Literacy Project

“This book would be an eye-opener for hearing people. As for me, if I had the chance to read it when I began losing my hearing at the age of sixteen, it would have given me hope, comfort, and inspiration. I would recommend this book to any young adult or teenager who is going through hearing loss or another disability.” – Valerie Stern, LCSW, psychotherapist, Los Angeles 

“Goodbye, Tchaikovsky is thoroughly enjoyable and easy to read. Although the book is written for a young audience, I thought of several people I know who would really benefit from the emotional release the story provides. I loved all the characters and the uplifting tone as the main character, David, struggles through this life upheaval.” – Jan Seeley, Temple Beth Solomon for the Deaf

“I really liked this book. Simple statement of fact: I don’t know Michael Thal, but I do now know more about deafness and how folks with hearing loss get through a day. I ached for David as he faced new school situations, signing, the loss of his music, and growing up in an entirely different way than he’d ever imagined. But central to my experience as a writer for kids of all ages was how universal Thal made his character’s experience. David is deaf, but he’s so relatable, as we all remember the terror of starting a new school, the pain of losing a friend, the sweetness of a first love, and the ‘oops’ things we all do growing up. How do any of us survive? We do it like David—just by hanging in there, being willing to try something different, and listening even when you can’t hear. For kids or adults, this is an appealing book for all.” – Gail Hedrick, former teacher, freelance writer, and editor

“Goodbye, Tchaikovsky by Michael L. Thal is a wonderful and moving tale of music, hearing loss, and of course, goodbyes. A 12-year-old male violinist wakes to find that everything is silent. He’s prescribed pills to help. Nothing. He is forced to go to a school for the deaf, where he learns sign language, with the help of his uncle, makes friends, and practices for his bar mitzvah. David, like many people, feels stuck. While he wants to hang out with his hearing friends, it’s hard to understand them, for they talk too fast and get too restless speaking slowly. His deaf friends sign too fast. He feels he can’t fit in in either world. The author, Michal Thal, is also deaf and therefore can relate to David’s struggles, which makes the story more realistic. If you have a lot of empathy, you will have a lot of cries. If you have a sense of humor, you will have a lot of laughs. If you don’t even like books, you will love this, I guarantee!” – Bryce, 10-year-old reader