Read this when
El Deafo
Lost her hearing, got a giant hearing aid, and decided it was a superpower. Cece Bell had the right idea. 🦸♀️
Who it's for
Cece's story shows the small, daily frictions of being deaf in a hearing world: people over-enunciating, missing jokes, friends who don't understand.
Feelings it meets
What it is
El Deafo is Cece Bell's 2014 autobiographical graphic novel about her childhood after losing her hearing at a young age, with every character drawn as a rabbit. She depends on a Phonic Ear hearing aid, and when teachers forget to switch off their wireless microphones it lets her hear them all over the school, which she treats as a superpower.
Where to find it
In print (Amulet/Abrams) and in libraries (Libby/Hoopla); audiobook available. Apple TV+ animated series (2022).
Before you start
Heads up: Childhood illness causing hearing loss.
Age: Ages 9+
I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul.William Ernest Henley, “Invictus”
