El Deafo
Illustrator
Cece Bell; David Lasky
Publisher
Amulet Books
Publication Year
2014
ISBN
9781419710209
Pages
248 pages
Genre
memoir
Format
graphic novel
Item Type
Fiction
Annotation
Starting at a new school is scary, even more so with a giant hearing aid strapped to your chest! At her old school, everyone in Cece's class was deaf. Here she is different. She is sure the kids are staring at the Phonic Ear, the powerful aid that will help her hear her teacher. Too bad it also seems certain to repel potential friends. Then Cece makes a startling discovery. With the Phonic Ear she can hear her teacher not just in the classroom, but anywhere her teacher is in school — in the hallway... in the teacher's lounge... in the bathroom! This is power. Maybe even superpower! Cece is on her way to becoming El Deafo, Listener for All. But the funny thing about being a superhero is that it's just another way of feeling different... and lonely. Can Cece channel her powers into finding the thing she wants most, a true friend?
Grade Level
3-5; 6-8
Diversity Topics
Disability and Health; Physical disability; Illness; hearing loss; hearing aids; meningitis
Main Character
female child
Race/Ethnicities
Rabbits
Family Formation
mother and father
Awards
3 Apples Book Award, 2019, Finalist, Children's
Blue Hen Book Award, 2019, Winner, Middle Reader
Golden Sower Award, 2017, Honor, Chapter Book
Lectio Book Award, 2016-2017, Runner Up, Grades 4-8
Nene Award, 2018, Winner
Booklist 50 Best Middle-Grade Novels of the 21st Century, 2019
Keywords
Phonic Ear; microphone; alter-ego; superpowers; lip reading; friendship; elementary school
Diversity Impact
direct
STARS Citation
Bell, Cece, "El Deafo" (2014). Diverse Families. 1994.
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/diversefamilies/1994