El Deafo

By Cece Bell,

Book cover of El Deafo

Book description

El Deafo is a funny, deeply honest graphic novel memoir for middle graders. It chronicles the author's hearing loss at a young age and her subsequent experiences with a powerful and very awkward hearing aid called the Phonic Ear. It gives her the ability to hear--sometimes things she shouldn't--but also…

Shepherd is reader supported. When you buy books, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Why read it?

1 author picked El Deafo as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

My wife, a teacher to the deaf and hard of hearing, brought home a graphic children’s book, El Deafo, which she and her kids loved. Based on Bell's own life, it’s about a young girl coming to grips with her sudden deafness. As a graphic artist who specializes in adult works, I was not initially drawn to this young girl’s story, nor to Bell’s colorful cartoony panels. But one day, I picked up my wife’s copy and discovered a charming story that swept me along, the art surprisingly sophisticated and effective. As different as my graphic memoir is from…

Want books like El Deafo?

Our community of 10,000+ authors has personally recommended 100 books like El Deafo.

Browse books like El Deafo

5 book lists we think you will like!

Interested in comics, cartoonists, and school?

10,000+ authors have recommended their favorite books and what they love about them. Browse their picks for the best books about comics, cartoonists, and school.

Comics Explore 113 books about comics
Cartoonists Explore 46 books about cartoonists
School Explore 254 books about school