El Deafo
Cece Bell

A funny and beautifully illustrated graphic novel memoir about growing up hearing impaired.

Cece was left with a hearing impairment following a childhood illness meaning that she needed to use a giant powerful hearing aid called the “phonic ear” to help her at school. Cece is embarrassed that the other children will see her hearing aid and not want to play with her. All she really wants is to be accepted and find a true friend. Then she discovers that she can hear her teacher wherever she is in the school; in the corridors, in the staffroom and even in the bathroom! It’s her superpower and she is El Deafo, Listener for All! It makes her popular but maybe not for the right reasons.

The book follows Cece through friendships and calamities, it explains in a simple and humorous way how people with a hearing impairment communicate and how not to communicate with them. It is a fantastic resource for children to understand others who may not be the same as them. Cece feels isolated, confused and, at times, angry. As well as tackling the subject of hearing loss the book gives a wonderfully accurate depiction of the strangeness and fickleness of friendships among children; both aspects are important as most children feel lonely and crave acceptance at some point. The illustrations are adorable and make this book really easy to digest.
Inspiring and honest, a wonderful graphic novel.

Publication Information

Publisher: Amulet Books, 2014
ISBN: 1419710206