4.22 AVERAGE

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So sweet and funny.

What a great story! It is books like ths that converted me to graphic novels. Cece Bell wrote what she knows... this book is her life and how she became deaf. The story lets us feel her pain and frustrations with dealing with her deafness. We cheer when she has her own celebrations and her creation of her alter ego, El Deafo. And we - or at least I did - cringe when she shows us how others treat her by talking loud or slow. This book made me think about how we act with those who have a disability. This would be a great book for kids of all ages and adults as well.

Super cute! A lovely inclusive, own voices read.

This was my first graphic novel! Enjoyed reading it from a personal and professional perspective. Since it was recently adapted into a Apple TV series I wanted to read it before watching. Super fast and enjoyable read. Would be great for a middle school reading list!
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emotional funny informative inspiring lighthearted relaxing fast-paced

El Deafo is a middle grade graphic novel depicting CeCe Bell’s experience of growing up deaf due to a childhood illness. She has to learn to navigate school, friendships, and a crush on a boy all with hearing aids and a “Phonic Ear”. El Deafo is the name she gives her superhero alter-ego. My soon to be 12yo son also loved the book.

Buku ini menceritakan tentang kisah seorang anak yang terkena Meningitis di umur 4 tahun bernama Cece. Setelah menderita penyakit tersebut, Cece harus rela kehilangan pendengarannya sedikit demi sedikit. Dia terpaksa beradaptasi dengan alat bantu dengar. Mulanya, dia kesulitan beradaptasi dengan alat tersebut. Rasa minder tentu saja tak terelakkan, apalagi tidak ada anak seumurannya yang memakai alat serupa.

Dia dipindahkan ke sekolah khusus dan bertemu dengan teman-teman yang kondisinya 'mirip' dengannya. Cece diajarkan lip reading agar memudahkan dia untuk menelaah apa yang sedang dikatakan oleh lawan bicaranya. Sayangnya, hal ini tidak berlangsung lama karena Cece dan keluarganya harus pindah ke kota kecil. Di kota tersebut, dia harus berbaur dengan teman-teman lainnya di sekolah umum.

Di sinilah, Cece kembali diuji. Beradaptasi dengan teman-teman baru, krisis identitas dan kepercayaan diri, hingga belajar untuk percaya bahwa dia bisa diterima oleh teman- teman sekitarnya. El Deafo adalah kisah masa kecil Cece Bell dan nama rahasia yang dia sematkan untuk dirinya. El Deafo, baginya, adalah kehidupan yang ingin dia tunjukkan pada teman-temannya. Dia sebagai superhero bagi dirinya dan teman-temannya. Bagi Cece, perbedaan itu bukan berarti berbeda dengan orang-orang 'normal' lainnya, tetapi perbedaan itu adalah keunikan masing-masing individu yang disebutnya superpower.

I really enjoyed this graphic novel! It followed the life of Cece, a young girl who becomes deaf following an illness at a young age. While this had the chance to become a sad book with lots of struggles, Cece's story was actually quite fun and largely happy and funny. I enjoyed how she reframed her deafness as a superpower (with her super sonic hearing aids), I thought it was a cool take on a topic many other books have covered. The book gave me lots of warm fuzzies and I would definitely recommend this story to others, children and adults alike!