Book Club: Graphic Novel Narrative

Cece Bell’s El Deafo tells Bell’s personal tale of growing up deaf in colorfully comic graphic novel style.  Cece wasn’t born deaf, only after a difficult bout of meningitis does she find herself thrown into a world that has gone suddenly quiet.  Readers' journey with Cece as she enters kindergarten and follow her to the 5th grade.  As she grows she learns to how to be different while also fitting in.  During our team’s recent book club meeting we discussed some of the common themes in El Deafo:

• Where are Cece’s parents?  Cece’s family seems incredibly understanding but many times it seems as though Cece is thrown into a situation with little explanation given by an adult.  Could this be just how Cece remembers feeling during these times, that she must figure this out alone?  Is it the fact that Cece had these experiences during the 1970’s, she was given less information because there was less information available to her parents?

• Through her first years in school Cece has difficulty making lasting positive friendships.  Cece has trouble sticking up for herself. Considering the gentle kindness she receives at home standing up for herself is difficult.
• Cece creates El Deafo, the superhero image of herself.  While El Deafo's actions only played out in her thoughts it helped her cope in difficult situations.
• This book had some similarities to Polacco’s Thank You, Mr. Falker. Just how unempathetic and sometimes cruel children can be. Both books were written in slightly different time periods from today.  It is hoped that children, while still sometimes mean, may have more of an opportunity today to understand differences as they are explored more readily in today’s media.
• In an effort to not be "special", a description Cece greatly disliked, she resisted learning sign language, feeling people would look at her even more funny than she felt they already did.
• An interesting discovery by one team member: With a bit of irony Bell chose to use rabbits for her characters as they are known to have excellent hearing.