El Deafo is a
graphic novel and memoir describing the author’s childhood experiences after
she loses her hearing from meningitis at age 4. During her first year in
school, she attends a special class with other students who also wear hearing
aids. They have fun and learn how to lip read together. However, Cece’s
family moves to a new neighborhood the following year, and she is forced to
attend regular classes at a new school. In order to understand her teachers,
she gets a powerful new hearing aid known as the Phonic Ear, which is a large
device she must wear strapped to her chest. The Ear makes her feel more self
conscious than ever. She struggles to fit in and make friends at school, and
often feels very lonely. However, she discovers that the Phonic Ear also gives
her a “superpower” – she can hear what her teacher is saying and doing around
the school, even when they are not in the same room together! To cheer herself
up, she pretends she is a superhero named El Deafo with super-hearing. Even
better, her newly realized powers soon make her the popular kid at school
because she can warn everyone to quit goofing off when the teacher is coming.
