
Publishers Weekly called the book "a standout autobiography," writing, "Cece’s predilection for bursting into tears at the wrong time belies a gift for resilience that makes her someone readers will enjoy getting to know." Kirkus Prize for Young Readers' LiteratureĬhildren's Choice Book Award for Debut AuthorĮisner Award for Best Publication for KidsĮl Deafo was well-received by critics, including starred reviews from Kirkus Reviews and Publishers Weekly. Goodreads Choice Award for Best Middle Grade and Children's

Awards for El Deafo YearĬybils Award for Elementary and Middle Grade Graphic Novel It was also a New York Times Notable Children’s Book. The Horn Book Magazine, Kirkus Reviews, the Los Angeles Public Library, Publishers Weekly, and School Library Journal named it one of the best books of 2014. Mike Miller: Cece's 1st crush and new neighborĮl Deafo is a Junior Library Guild book.Martha Ann Claytor: Cece's best friend in the end of 4th grade and continues to be one.Ginny Wakeley: Cece's new friend in 3rd grade.Laura: Cece's best friend in 1st and 2nd grade.As she gets older, she realizes that she no longer has to hide her "superpower" with others. Ultimately Cece opens up to her new friend and reveals her secret persona as "El Deafo", much to the delight of her friend, who agrees to serve as her sidekick. She also grows comfortable in confronting people that treat her differently because of her deafness, finding that many of them are largely unaware that their actions cause her emotional harm. She adopts the secret nickname "El Deafo".Īs time passes Cece grows more assertive and opens up to the people around her, especially when she meets a new friend who doesn't seem to care that she wears a hearing aid. For example, she hears private teacher conversations, as her teachers wear a tiny microphone that transmits sound to Cece's hearing aid and not every teacher remembers to turn it off when they leave the classroom.

She deals with these feelings by treating her hearing aid as a superpower, as it gives her the ability to hear everything. This causes both frustration and depression in Cece, as she is desperate to find a true friend but frequently feels that she has to accept poor treatment from others being afraid of losing what few friends she has.

While the hearing aid enables her to hear the world around her, it also distances her from some children her own age because she is seen as "different". The book depicts the childhood of Cece Bell, who lost her hearing at a young age and required the assistance of a Phonic Ear hearing aid while she was growing up to be the person who she is now. ( April 2023) ( Learn how and when to remove this template message) You can provide one by editing this article. This section needs an improved plot summary.
