When Cece Bell loses her hearing after suddenly having an illness called meningitis, she feels different. One minute she can hear, the next minute she can’t hear her mum or even herself or anyone. Because it’s a graphic novel, using speech bubbles, the print fades away until there’s nothing.
Her parents take her to the audiology centre to test out her hearing. The doctor blindfolds her and rings bells right next to her ears and asks if she’s heard anything. He gives her a hearing aid called a phonic ear to use in school. She wears it around her neck and it pairs with a microphone.
She’s really uncomfortable when she goes to school with a big hearing aid. She thinks people won’t like her. But Cece discovers the power of hearing her teacher anywhere in the school building, even when she’s in the loo! She thinks of herself as “El Deafo”, the deaf superhero, who can hear anything.
I like how the book shows how she copes with all these fragile relationships and how she holds on to her courage to make friends. She makes three friendships and all of them seem to go haywire, but she learns a lot about how friends can be lost and made and the enduring power of friendship.
Cece Bell said she drew everyone as bunny rabbits because bunnies are so cute and awesome!
Cece Bell’s El Deafo, longlisted for the Guardian children’s fiction prize 2015, is available from the Guardian bookshop.
Congratulations to Rhys Ponsford, aged 9, for his Young Critics award 2015-winning review.
