Graphic Novel- El Deafo

A. Bibliography:
Bell, C. (2014). El Deafo.  New York, NY: Amulet Books. ISBN: 9781419712173.

B. Plot Summary:
The heartfelt autobiographical graphic novel El Deafo is based on a true story in author Cece Bell's childhood.  Set in the suburbs of the 1970s, our main character is a bunny who sometimes transforms into the superhero El Deafo.  Cece loses her hearing at the age of four due to meningitis.  From there, she struggles with her confidence and worries about how her peers view her.  Each day at school, she is to bring her Phonic Ear, a big device for hearing, to her teacher.  When she thinks she meets a best friend, she starts to realize that they treat her differently in some way.  As she grows older, she appreciates how much her device assists her academically and this brings new confidence and true friendships into her life.

C. Critical Analysis:
Even though this graphic novel is meant for kids ten and up, readers  of all ages would enjoy Cece's autobiographical story about her struggles as a deaf student.  The story is full of heartwarming, sad and funny moments as Cece overcomes several obstacles.  The reader sees her go through many obstacles, from struggling with friendship to disagreeing with her mom about sign language classes.

I love the honesty in this graphic novel.  We see a true experience from Cece's childhood.  The language and voice contributes to the success of this story.  We get to see real relationships of a girl sleepover, mother and daughter, awkward first crush and friend disagreements.  This is something we all can relate to.  I really had an appreciation for this book because I had a student this past year who wore a Phonic Ear each day in class.  As the year progressed, and he became older, I could see his hesitation in wearing it in front of his classmates.  This book really shows you the perspective from a deaf child.

The illustrations by Nathan Hale are playful and full of color. It was attractive to the reader's eye.  The theme of this graphic novel is to appreciate your differences as that is what makes us all unique.

D. Review Excerpts:
**Publisher's Weekly states "Bell’s earnest rabbit/human characters, her ability to capture her own sonic universe (“eh sounz lah yur unnah wawah!”), and her invention of an alter ego—the cape-wearing El Deafo, who gets her through stressful encounters (“How can El Deafo free herself from the shackles of this weekly humiliation?” she asks as her mother drags her to another excruciating sign language class)—all combine to make this a standout autobiography."
**School Library Journal states, "This warmly and humorously illustrated full-color graphic novel set in the suburban '70s has all the gripping characters and inflated melodrama of late childhood: a crush on a neighborhood boy, the bossy friend, the too-sensitive-to-her-Deafness friend, and the perfect friend, scared away."

E. Connections:

Students will enjoy experiencing characters with similar obstacles, such as Helen Keller.  Some books with other deaf characters are I am Helen Keller, The Quiet World and Moonbird.  Students can write about a time they were embarrassed, or a time they overcame an obstacle.