This book is about embracing your life when it seems like it’s completely different or has completely changed and making the most of it. It also teaches empathy for those that are different than you, whether it be due to skin color, physical ability, religion, looks, etc. Everyone struggles in some way and we can take those struggles and turn them around for the good.

El Deafo is a graphic novel written by a woman who actually went through what the character went through in the book. The character’s name is the same as the author’s. That alone makes it special and relatable to children. The character, Cece, gets sick at the age of four from meningitis and she ends up losing her hearing. However, she gains it back with hearing aids. The problem is, she’s not “cool” now and even gets called “deafo.” She doesn’t let that stop her though, she embraces it and deems herself a superhero: El Deafo.

Click on the image to visit the author’s Amazon page to find more books written by Bell.

Bell, Cece (2014). El deafo. New York, NY: Abrams.