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2.09k reviews for:

El Deafo

Cece Bell

4.22 AVERAGE


I don't know. It just wasn’t for me.
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I am not a big fan of graphic novels. I like to read to (and with) my kids, and graphic novels do not lend well to this kind of activity. They want me to point to where I am reading, but then they complain that they can’t see the picture, or I start to read “out of order”, confused by the placement of word bubbles or captions. The content is typically either childish and littered with potty-level humor, or revolves around a large group of characters for which you need some previous knowledge.

Initially, I was not excited to read El Deafo.

In the end, I am truly impressed by El Deafo.

As other reviewers have noted and described, the story is based on the real-life childhood experiences of the author, Cece Bell. Bell lost her hearing after an illness when she was very young, and chronicles her almost-typical struggles growing up, amplified (no pun intended!) by her visible (and not-so visible) differences.

I think kids (the intended middle-grade audience) will also enjoy this book. While not everyone has a hearing impairment, everyone experiences feeling different or out-of-the-loop at some point growing up. The illustrations are fun (in the end, you hardly notice the characters are actually bunnies), and the text is (gasp!) appropriately placed.
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This is such a sweet story that represents the author’s childhood experience cleverly with relatable humor and an endearing protagonist. I think many of my students will enjoy this book.

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