Graphic novels are such a huge part of children's literature, and among the most popular books circulated, so it's wonderful that there are so many quality offerings. This 2015 Newbery Honor book is the author's own story of growing up with profound hearing loss, while just trying to fit in and be like everyone else. CeCe Bell lost her hearing after a bout with meningitis at age 4. This memoir tells her sweet, awkward story of negotiating friends, coping with being different, girlhood crushes, the challenges of lip-reading, the humiliation of being "taught" signs by earnest classmates, and strategies for school success. The simple graphic illustrations are humorous and very clever: when CeCe cannot hear, speech bubbles are empty. With her hearing aids she hears random confusing sounds, but with her Phonic Ear (a huge device not-so-discretely strapped to her chest, with cords connecting her ears to sounds transmitted by the teacher's microphone) she discovers super-powers and re-christens herself "El Deafo!" In fact, her discovery that she can hear her teacher anywhere in school (she can even hear when she's peeing in the bathroom) gives her some measure of cool and an opening to interact with her classmates like any other kid. Great read!
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