One minute, she is excited to share that with her Phonic Ear she can hear their teacher go to the bathroom, and the next minute she is anxious when the lights go out at a sleepover and she can’t read lips anymore. The two aspects marry perfectly, allowing the reader to read and see and feel the shifting emotions of its narrator. Cece Bell is witty, vulnerable, and insightful in her writing and her drawing. The book places readers in that context, experiencing the self-consciousness of a young girl still trying to fit in.īut El Deafo is not sappy or afterschool-special formulaic. She must learn to manage her deafness, including wearing her Phonic Ear, the large and cumbersome hearing aid of the time. Life changes dramatically when she falls ill and her illness results in profound hearing loss. Cece Bell’s personal story is touching and hilarious, with plenty for families to recognize and discuss.Ĭece Bell’s story begins with her doing all the normal 1970s kid things – hanging out with her siblings, watching TV, playing in her neighborhood.

El Deafo is the perfect graphic novel to initiate the reading experience for families to share together. Students love graphic novels and they are a great way to hook even the most reluctant readers with their colorful illustrations which support the plot and illuminate the world of the story. El Deafo is a graphic novel that tells Cece Bell’s own story of growing up in Virginia in the 1970s.

El deafo book 2