El Deafo by Cece Bell

I am late coming to this book which was published in 2015. I really appreciated the raw honesty of this story but of course you might expect that from an autobiography. At times Cece's experiences were heartbreaking but the ending has a promise of better times to come. I experienced a huge roller coaster of emotions. I desperately wanted someone to talk to the other students at Cece's High school - why were they so awful to her just because she was wearing a large hearing device? And worst of all is that dreadful PE teacher who breaks her expensive equipment seemingly with no consequence for him but huge ramifications for Cece.  

In a talk Bell gave at the 2014 ALA Midwinter Conference about El Deafo, she said she chose rabbits rather than humans as characters because rabbits can hear really well and what's funnier than a rabbit with hearing aids? Bell's characters are drawn with cute, simplistic faces, yet they are very expressive and she does a phenomenal job, both with words and pictures, of conveying the experience of not being able to hear and understand the world around you. Books4YourKids

The dream sequences where Cece imagines her alternate life as a superhero were terrific and very easy to identify from the way the page designed changed.  Here are twelve facts about Cece Bell. 

Publisher Blurb: Starting at a new school is scary, especially with a giant hearing aid strapped to your chest! At her old school, everyone in Cece’s class was deaf. Here, she’s different. She’s sure the kids are staring at the Phonic Ear, the powerful aid that will help her hear her teacher. Too bad it also seems certain to repel potential friends. Then Cece makes a startling discovery. With the Phonic Ear she can hear her teacher not just in the classroom but anywhere her teacher is in the school—in the hallway . . . in the teacher’s lounge . . . in the bathroom! This is power. Maybe even superpower! Cece is on her way to becoming El Deafo, Listener for All. But the funny thing about being a superhero is that it’s just another way of feeling different . . . and lonely. Can Cece channel her powers into finding the thing she wants most, a true friend? Here is a sample from the audio version of El Deafo. And the Kirkus Star Review. 

The real reason I found the book as compelling as I did was due in large part to the way in which Bell tackles the illogical logic of childhood friendships. So many kids are friends thanks to geographical convenience. You’re my age and live within a certain radius of my home? We’re besties! And Bell’s hearing-impaired state is just a part of why she is or is not friends with one person or another. Really, the true arc of the story isn’t necessarily CeCe coming to terms with the Sonic Ear, but rather how she comes to terms with herself and, in doing so, gets the best possible friend. It’s like reading a real life Goldilocks story. This friend is too bossy. This friend is too fixated on Cece’s hearing. But this friend? She’s juuuuuust right. SlJ Betsy Bird

Through the portrayal of bunny characters (bunnies because they are known for their big ears and excellent hearing), Bell has managed to amplify the book’s whimsical feel providing readers with a remarkable story of a young girl living with hearing impairment. Children's Book Review

Awards for El Deafo:

• Cybils Award for Elementary and Middle Grade Graphic Novel Winner
• Goodreads Choice Award for Best Middle Grade and Children's Nominee
• Kirkus Prize for Young Readers' Literature Finalist
• Guardian Children's Fiction Prize Longlist
• ALSC Notable Children's Books Selection
• Charlotte Huck Award Honor
• Children's Choice Book Award for Debut Author Finalist
• Eisner Award for Best Publication for Kids Winner
• Eisner Award for Best Reality-Based Work Finalist
• Great Graphic Novels for Teens Selection
• Judy Lopez Memorial Award Winner
• Newbery Medal Honor

As you would expect El Deafo is also included in the IBBY Collection for Young People with Disabilities.

I have a plan this year to read more graphic novels. Luckily the libraries I visit each week have strong collections. The hospital library where I work as a volunteer has an interesting collection which comes from Scholastic Australia and their Standing Order service. Here are the books they offered in 2023:

Other books by Cece Bell:

I Yam a donkey    Rabbit and Robot The Sleepover