El Deafo

Bell, C., & Lasky, D. (2014). El Deafo. New York: Harry N. Abrams.

Cece is a young girl who at the age of four gets meningitis. She recovers but she loses her hearing. She is given a hearing aid, which comes with a box she wears with a strap around her neck and cords that run to her ears. Not only does she have to deal with this machine, but now she is entering school. Making friends while looking different is hard. She is then given a Phonic ear an even stronger hearing aid. Cece discovers she has “super powers”.  Her hero name is El Deafo, and in the end she finally finds her true friend.

 

Analysis: How would this book appeal to "your" library? How would you sell these books? What other books has the author written?  Are they similar or different?

El Deafo is a brilliant book made up of comic strips. Young readers love to read comic books, this will appeal to them. This book would appeal in my library with students with disabilities.  This book gives them a self-esteem boost. Young readers can identify with Cece being made fun of, but not allowing her disability to bring her down. The counselor can also use this book to show about respect, emotions, and bullying. The readers can identify and relate with Cece and use this book to help see themselves as super heroes as well. The illustrations help tell the story.

I would sell this book by telling the readers that anyone can be a superhero. No matter our situation we just have to look deep within ourselves and allow our superhero to arise. I would also sell it by telling the emerging reader it is like reading a comic book, who doesn’t like that? I would tell them we have all been through some type of situations and came out victorious, let this book do the same.

Itty Bitty is similar in that the main characters do not let their size or disability affect them. They find a way to use them as an advantage. This is a picture book while El Deafo is a comic book. The vibrant colors used by the author allows to the illustrations come alive. Busy Buddies: Silly Stuff that Goes Together is more a picture book with very little text unlike El Deafo. Both El Deafo and Busy Buddies deal with friendship.  The author again uses great use of color to bring out illustrations.  Food Friends is similar to Busy Buddies because they are both picture books that deal with matching objects. Although it’s similar to El Deafo in friendship.