“With or without superpowers, I am still El Deafo — and I am outraged!”

If you enjoyed Raina Telgemeier’s Smile, you will also love El Deafo.  With a similar funny and sweet style, this graphic novel tells the story of Cece from age four through fifth grade.

Because the voice is so authentic, you will know right away that this is Bell’s personal growing-up story. Cece loses her hearing when she is four years old.  Well-intentioned adults and friends constantly interfere with what Cece wants most of all — to just be treated like everyone else. She deals with school and relationships (and develops her strong sense of self) by transmuting her embarrassing hearing devices into superpowers, thus imagining herself a superhero. Her memoir shows us that we all share this superpower — coping in the life we get.

This graphic novel memoir is recommended for grades 3 – 6 and older. Just a few weeks ago, it received a 2015 Newbery Honor Award.