El Deafo Essay

I first decided to read El Deafo, by Cece Bell because I had gotten several suggestions from other friends last year to read the book. However, I never got the chance to and it seemed like a no-brainer to select this book. As an incoming teacher, this was a book that I heard was essential to have in middle school classrooms. While I don’t plan on teaching middle school, it was still something that I found important and valid to read.

To start with, this book reflects the author’s childhood. It is written from the perspective of someone who becomes deaf and makes the most of it. It shows the challenges of the experience, which only makes the book more powerful. Cece Bell became deaf as a child and you can tell just how personal this book is to her. The way that the book is written is compelling and makes the reader want to read. Instead of dwelling on the events occurring, it shows the willingness to persevere and look at the positive aspects of the situation. Becoming a superhero called “El Deafo,” was one way that Bell was able to cope with what had happened to her.

I also think that there are not enough books written like this. This book shows the everyday life of someone who has a hearing impairment, and what it can be like. Everyone, (especially students,) should take a look at this book to get a glimpse of what it can be like. While you will never fully understand the situation, it is important to have an idea of what this can be like. Not enough books like this are made available to our students and I think this is a place to start. It’s a book that many students can enjoy no matter what their reading level may be. Even the pictures and graphic elements can help a student see things differently, without even reading the words.

Perhaps the most powerful part about all of this is that the book is written from someone who lived through it. Everything is valid and not coming from an outside source. That’s perfect, because it wouldn’t make sense for someone like me to write this book. What do I have to say about having a hearing impairment? It adds to the validity and realness of this graphic novel.

With all this said, I believe some of my favorite parts of the book are the graphic elements. I found the pictures to be beautiful in their own way. I thought all of the images popped off the page and it really stuck out to me. The story itself is inspiring and that makes me want to look more into Bell’s background than I already have. I want to know if she completely based it on her life, or if some events were made up things that could have happened. Ultimately, I think this is a graphic novel that so many people can and should look into.