El Deafo

Bell, C. (2014). El Deafo. NY: Abrams

This graphic novel is about a little girl who becomes sick with meningitis.  She loses her hearing because of her sickness.  She gets to go to a special school for children that are deaf.  She has to wear a Phoinc Ear, which CeCe is embarrassed to wear.  At the special school CeCe is taught to read people’s lips.    At the end of the year the family has to move from the big city to a small town.  CeCe notices that her Phonic Ear lets her hear things she should not hear.  Cece uses her Phonic Ear to turn herself into a Superhero names El Deafo.  El Deafo is the superhero that can hear everything with her Phonic Ear.  Everyone at school finds out that CeCe can hear everything they think it is awesome.

I would recommend this book for students in 4^th -6^th grade that is going through something that makes them feel different or an outsider. The strength of this book is that it lets children know that just because you are not “normal”, it is ok. There is always something that makes you unique and there is more important things than being “normal.” Roller Girl by Victoria Jamieson, and Sunny Side Up by Jennifer L. Holm can be excellent for follow up reading or lessons. Lessons that might come from reading El Deafo can be that Cece can relate to anyone who might have an impairment. 

Image of El Deafo.(n.d.). Retrieved March 12, 2016, from http://www.amazon.com/