Want personalized picks that fit your family?
Set preferences to see our top age-appropriate picks for your kids.
El Deafo
Common Sense says
- Cece Bell
- Autobiography
- 2014
Parents say
Kids say
Searching for streaming and purchasing options ...
Common Sense is a nonprofit organization. Your purchase helps us remain independent and ad-free.
Get it now on
Searching for streaming and purchasing options ...
Common Sense is a nonprofit organization. Your purchase helps us remain independent and ad-free.
A lot or a little?
The parents' guide to what's in this book.
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that 2015 Newbery Honor Book El Deafo by Cece Bell is a sweet, funny, and affecting graphic memoir of growing up with a hearing impairment. From kindergarten onward, Cece wants a best friend to call her own, but her deafness and feelings of insecurity sometimes get in her way. She has an unrequited crush on a neighbor boy, and the only strong language is a character saying someone's making her life "hell." In two scenes, adults drink wine and smoke cigarettes.
Stay up to date on new reviews.
User Reviews
- Parents say
- Kids say
Graphic Novel that is touching, funny and smart
Great, but can have bad stuff.
What's the story?
A bout with meningitis at age 4 leaves Cece with impaired hearing. As she goes off to first grade, she wears the Phonic Ear, a giant hearing aid strapped to her chest. Although she can understand some conversations, she still misses a lot of what's being said by those around her. She wants nothing more than to have a best friend, but can the Phonic Ear provide a way to find one?
Is it any good?
Funny, perceptive, and truthful, EL DEAFO expertly captures the experience of wanting to fit in and find a best friend, whether you're deaf or can hear perfectly. Young Cece is a hugely likable main character, alternately feisty and insecure, engrossed in her fantasy life while attuned to the pitfalls of reality. Cartoonist Cece Bell may use anthropomorphic rabbits as stand-ins for her characters, but their humanity shines through on every page.
Talk to your kids about ...
Families can talk about the ways in which people with hearing impairments are depicted in the media. What books, movies, or TV shows address deafness with sensitivity and truth?
Why do you think the author of El Deafo depicts all the characters as rabbits? How would the story change if the human characters were presented realistically?
Why is it sometimes difficult to make new friends? What can you do to make the process easier?
Book details
- Author: Cece Bell
- Illustrator: Cece Bell
- Genre: Autobiography
- Topics: Friendship, Great Girl Role Models, Misfits and Underdogs
- Book type: Non-Fiction
- Publisher: Amulet Books
- Publication date: September 2, 2014
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 8 - 12
- Number of pages: 248
- Available on: Paperback, Nook, Hardback, iBooks, Kindle
- Awards: ALA Best and Notable Books, Newbery Medal and Honors
Themes & Topics
Browse titles with similar subject matter.
For kids who love graphic novels
Our editors recommend
Top advice and articles
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.