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4.22 AVERAGE
4.22 AVERAGE
funny
hopeful
informative
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
A good late elementary to middle grade book for fans of humorous books. Also a good book for those who have Deaf/Hard of Hearing friends or are learning about people with (as Cece called them) superpowers.
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
I read this book with Arlo, half out loud and the second half we read ourselves. A great story that shows how someone with a disability feels and moves through the world. Also a great story about being a kid, making friends, and navigating school.
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
funny
reflective
fast-paced
funny
informative
lighthearted
fast-paced
funny
hopeful
fast-paced
Is it weird that a 42-year-old adult can be reduced to tears by reading a middle-school book?
Well, I hope not because that's what happened (several times) to me as I was reading Cece Bell's wonderfully moving, fascinating memoir of her childhood, El Deafo.
Because my own mother is hearing impaired (completely deaf in her left ear and profoundly deaf in her right ear but able to hear thanks to her hearing aid), I was drawn to this book when I saw it posted on my local library's recommended reading list. (Yes, it is a book for middle-school children, but I like to stay abreast of what children and teens are reading, and the subject of the book was interesting to me because of the connection with my mother.)
In this memoir, which is written in the form of a graphic novel, Bell relates what life was like for her as a hearing impaired child growing up in the 1970s. It is by turns sweet, touching, and funny and always educational. And it's not just about being hearing impaired: it's also the story of a little girl trying to fit in and make friends like any other child.
This novel really shines in showing us exactly what life is like for the hearing impaired: through the narrative and through the additional flexibility that comes with the book being a graphic novel, Bell helps us readers really see and understand just how strange, baffling, and sometimes difficult the world can be for those who are hearing impaired, and she does it with a light but realistic touch--not trying to play on our emotions or make us pity her or the hearing impaired but simply drawing a picture (literally!) of what life is like for the hearing impaired.
While El Deafo is based on Bell's own childhood, the characters in the book are rabbits, not humans. Rabbits, of course, have very large ears, such that we tend to see them as having very sharp hearing, and so drawing herself and her family and friends as rabbits brings home the fact that Bell's hearing impairment profoundly shaped the way she saw herself and others. But the use of rabbits (though rather anthropomorphized rabbits) also serves to keep the mood of the book light, airy, and kid-friendly.
One of the best things that books do is help us understand others better by making us more empathetic. El Deafo hits a homerun on this count, and it's a fabulous story to boot. El Deafo, along with R.J. Palacio's beautiful Wonder, should be required reading for all middle-school children, and I would recommend it to older children and adults as well. I absolutely loved this book!
Well, I hope not because that's what happened (several times) to me as I was reading Cece Bell's wonderfully moving, fascinating memoir of her childhood, El Deafo.
Because my own mother is hearing impaired (completely deaf in her left ear and profoundly deaf in her right ear but able to hear thanks to her hearing aid), I was drawn to this book when I saw it posted on my local library's recommended reading list. (Yes, it is a book for middle-school children, but I like to stay abreast of what children and teens are reading, and the subject of the book was interesting to me because of the connection with my mother.)
In this memoir, which is written in the form of a graphic novel, Bell relates what life was like for her as a hearing impaired child growing up in the 1970s. It is by turns sweet, touching, and funny and always educational. And it's not just about being hearing impaired: it's also the story of a little girl trying to fit in and make friends like any other child.
This novel really shines in showing us exactly what life is like for the hearing impaired: through the narrative and through the additional flexibility that comes with the book being a graphic novel, Bell helps us readers really see and understand just how strange, baffling, and sometimes difficult the world can be for those who are hearing impaired, and she does it with a light but realistic touch--not trying to play on our emotions or make us pity her or the hearing impaired but simply drawing a picture (literally!) of what life is like for the hearing impaired.
While El Deafo is based on Bell's own childhood, the characters in the book are rabbits, not humans. Rabbits, of course, have very large ears, such that we tend to see them as having very sharp hearing, and so drawing herself and her family and friends as rabbits brings home the fact that Bell's hearing impairment profoundly shaped the way she saw herself and others. But the use of rabbits (though rather anthropomorphized rabbits) also serves to keep the mood of the book light, airy, and kid-friendly.
One of the best things that books do is help us understand others better by making us more empathetic. El Deafo hits a homerun on this count, and it's a fabulous story to boot. El Deafo, along with R.J. Palacio's beautiful Wonder, should be required reading for all middle-school children, and I would recommend it to older children and adults as well. I absolutely loved this book!
My little dude, who is in fifth grade, read this first so I did after him. This graphic novel was super cute and did a good job addressing this topic for younger audiences. I felt like the plot was just kind of meh, but I am of course not it’s intended audience haha, so that is worth considering. Overall it was very cute and definitely a fast, fun read. Would definitely recommend to elementary and middle level teachers/parents and might get one for my classroom.