El Deafo
El Deafo is autobiography of the author, CeCe Bell and her tale of growing up hearing impaired. The story begins when she is about a four-year-old little girl named CeCe. Her childhood is seemingly normal with her parents and siblings. CeCe loved her red bath suit with white polka does and wore it everywhere. One day, CeCe becomes very ill and her parents rush her to the hospital where she is diagnosed with meningitis. While being in the hospital, her health improves, but she realizes that she cannot hear all that is being said. Her parents take her to a doctor and have her hearing tested and they determined that she has lost her hearing. The doctors fit her for a hearing device that will help her hear, and she learns to adjust to her new normal. CeCe is sent to a new school that specializes in hearing impairments and she meets children with similar issues. She works on her hearing and speaking at school and home. Eventually, her family moves and she has to begin again at a new school, where she receives a new device. This device provides a microphone for the teacher and a hearing device for CeCe. As CeCe continues to grow and adjust, she has to learn to deal with friends who are not always sure how to handle a hearing impaired friend. She struggles with having to be a normal kid, but not being able to do things just like everyone else. To help her cope, CeCe creates an alter ego, El Deafo, to help her deal with being different. In the end, CeCe learns to be comfortable in her own skin, the meaning of true friendship and the love of her family.
El Deafo is autobiography of the author, CeCe Bell and her tale of growing up hearing impaired. The story begins when she is about a four-year-old little girl named CeCe. Her childhood is seemingly normal with her parents and siblings. CeCe loved her red bath suit with white polka does and wore it everywhere. One day, CeCe becomes very ill and her parents rush her to the hospital where she is diagnosed with meningitis. While being in the hospital, her health improves, but she realizes that she cannot hear all that is being said. Her parents take her to a doctor and have her hearing tested and they determined that she has lost her hearing. The doctors fit her for a hearing device that will help her hear, and she learns to adjust to her new normal. CeCe is sent to a new school that specializes in hearing impairments and she meets children with similar issues. She works on her hearing and speaking at school and home. Eventually, her family moves and she has to begin again at a new school, where she receives a new device. This device provides a microphone for the teacher and a hearing device for CeCe. As CeCe continues to grow and adjust, she has to learn to deal with friends who are not always sure how to handle a hearing impaired friend. She struggles with having to be a normal kid, but not being able to do things just like everyone else. To help her cope, CeCe creates an alter ego, El Deafo, to help her deal with being different. In the end, CeCe learns to be comfortable in her own skin, the meaning of true friendship and the love of her family.
El Deafo was recognized as a great graphic novel for teens by YALSA. This novel is a nonfiction autobiography that recounts the story of author, CeCe Bell and her struggle with her hearing. Bell beautifully crafts a graphic novel that helps readers develop empathy for the main character as she deals with being different. The novel focuses on Bell’s childhood when she first lost her hearing and her struggle to live without it. This novel provides readers with the ability to read for vicarious experiences, but also for the pure joy of reading. I think this book is perfect for students middle grade students and it allows them to develop empathy for people who are different from them. One of the story lines that I enjoyed the most was her struggle to find friends that were comfortable with her and she was comfortable with them. This autobiographical graphic novel is in the same group as Sisters, but it does have a different feel. The reader sees the main character, CeCe looking for a true friend and creating an alter ego to help cope with the trials of life. CeCe Bell did a great job of pairing a great storyline with wonderful illustrations.
Bell, C. (2014). El deafo. New York, NY: Abrams Books.
No comments:
Post a Comment