El Deafo ~ Cece Bell

In this touching graphic memoir, the author tells the story of how she, at four years old, became deaf from meningitis. This is her story of growing up as a child who was deaf. Throughout elementary school, Cece struggled socially and academically at different times because of her deafness. And whether from cruelty or misunderstanding, many people in her life treated her differently when they learned she was deaf.

Cece, like almost every child, fights to feel normal in a world that does not always reward differences, and, consequently, Cece spent much of her childhood alone. Readers will feel every emotion right along with Cece Bell, as she describes her failures and triumphs throughout elementary school. 

Maturity: 1/4

This novel has no mature content, and could be recommended to students age 8+. This graphic novel serves as a beautiful window into the experience of being deaf, and I think students will learn a lot but also relate completely to Cece as they reflect on the things that make them a little different, and possibly self-conscious, around their peers. 

Pages: 233

Lexile: N/A

This novel is definitely one I would recommend to reluctant or struggling readers, and it could certainly be appropriate for upper-elementary students as well. 

Lexile is a score that helps educators and parents match students with an appropriate text. A Lexile score is a measure of both a child’s reading ability and a text difficulty. However, Lexile does not take into account the content of a novel. So, pairing readers with a text is a complex process, and knowledge of a novel’s themes and plot is necessary to make a high-quality recommendation.

If you are curious about the grade-level equivalent to Lexile scores, check out the conversion chart here!

♥ RileyReadsYA ♥