A Guy, a Girl, and a Teen Book Blog

A Guy, a Girl, and a Teen Book Blog

Tuesday, October 21, 2014

El Deafo by Cece Bell

Title: El Deafo
Author: Cece Bell
Pages: 248
Publisher: Harry N. Abrams
ISBN: 9781419710209
Publication Date: September 2, 2014
AR Levels: TBD
Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20701984-el-deafo

In a nutshell: As a preschooler, Cece Bell loses most of her hearing after suffering from meningitis. This graphic memoir follows Cece's journey through elementary school as a hearing-impaired child. Along the way, she navigates the ups and downs of friendships, first crushes, and family relationships and comes to discover that her deafness (and her ultra powerful hearing aid, the Phonic Ear) might just be her superpower. It's a delightfully funny snapshot into the life of a hearing-impaired girl that is sure to charm you.

I'd recommend it to grades: 4 to 6

I'd recommend it to: graphic novels fans and anyone who enjoyed Raina Telgemeier's Smile

What I liked most about this book: This book is completely adorable. Not only does it tackle a subject that doesn't get much attention in children's literature, but it's just a fun story too! I learned quite a lot about the deaf community and hearing-impaired people and fell in love with the characters too. The underlying theme of accepting others' differences is woven throughout the plot in a way that will get the point across in an affective but subtle way. Upper elementary kids are going to eat this up for its humor and heart. Fun side note: Cece Bell is married to Tom Angleberger, author of the Origami Yoda series!

Single favorite moment (without getting spoiler-y): Cece's Phonic Ear hearing aid has a microphone for her teachers to wear so that Cece can understand their words better. When Cece realizes just how powerful the microphone is, it makes for some hilarious moments involving her teachers. Let's just say, they think they're out of earshot, but they're not, and Cece overhears some private moments that would mortify them if they found out. All good fun. :)

Star rating (where 5 stars is awesome and 0 stars is atrocious): 5 stars