El Deafo
 | |
| Author | Cece Bell |
|---|---|
| Illustrator | Cece Bell |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre |
Children's Literature Graphic novel Autobiography |
| Publisher | Amulet Books[1] |
Publication date | September 2, 2014 |
| Media type | |
| Pages | 248 |
| ISBN | 9781419712173 |
| OCLC | 870199731 |
| LC Class | HV2534.B44 A3 2014 |
El Deafo is a graphic novel written and illustrated by Cece Bell. The book is a loose autobiographical account of Bell's childhood and living with her deafness. However, the characters in the book are all bunnies. Cece Bell, in an interview with the Horn Book Magazine,[2] states "What are bunnies known for? Big ears; excellent hearing," rendering her choice of characters and their deafness ironic.
Plot
The book depicts the childhood of Cece Bell, who required the assistance of a Phonic Ear hearing aid while she was growing up.
While the hearing aid enables her to hear the world around her, it also distances her from some children her own age because she is seen as "different". This causes both frustration and depression in Cece, as she is desperate to find a true friend but frequently feels that she has to accept poor treatment from others being afraid of losing what few friends she has. She deals with these feelings by treating her hearing aid as a superpower, as it gives her the ability to hear everything. For example, she hears private teacher conversations, as her teachers wear a tiny microphone that transmits sound to Cece's hearing aid; and not every teacher remembers to turn it off when they leave the classroom. She adopts the secret moniker "El Deafo".
As time passes Cece grows more assertive and opens up to the people around her, especially when she meets a new friend who doesn't seem to care that she wears a hearing aid. She also grows comfortable in confronting people that treat her differently because of her deafness, finding that many of them are largely unaware that their actions cause her emotional harm. Ultimately Cece opens up to her new friend and reveals her secret persona as "El Deafo", much to the delight of her friend, who agrees to serve as her sidekick. As she gets older, she realizes that she no longer has to hide her "superpower" with others.
Characters
- Cece Bell -- Age 4 (at the beginning of the book) Main character. A young girl struggling in a mainstream school wearing hearing aids. Gives herself the nickname "El Deafo" because of her "superpowers" thanks to her hearing aid.
- Dorn -- Cece's kindergarten teacher. Teaches Cece how to lip-read.
- Mrs. Lufton -- Cece's teacher in First Grade
- Mrs. Sinklemann -- Cece's Fifth Grade Teacher
- Emma -- Cece's very first friend. Cece ends up moving away from the town that
- Laura -- Cece's best friend in first and second grade. Very pushy. Same grade as Cece.
- Ginny -- Cece's best friend in 3rd and part of 4th grade. Makes a huge deal about hearing aid. Same age as Cece.
- Martha -- Cece's best friend starting in fourth grade. Martha is one year younger than Cece.
- Mike Miller -- Cece's crush. Lives in her neighborhood. Very cute and friendly. Same age as Cece.
Awards
El Deafo won a Newbery Honor in 2015. It also won the 2015 Eisner Award for Best Publication for Kids (ages 8–12).
Critical reception
Katherine Bouton, a writer from the New York Times, calls the book inspirational for those who are different.[3]
See also
References
- ↑ "Amulet Books". Retrieved 5 May 2015.
- ↑ "Horn Book Magazine". Retrieved 12 May 2015.
- ↑ http://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/24/books/review/el-deafo-by-cece-bell.html?_r=0