Bell, C. (2014). El Deafo. NY: Abrams.
Recommend age: 4th grade and up
Summary: Author Cece Bell wrote this graphic novel biography about growing up "severely to profoundly deaf." This book covers her adjustments to leaving a school for deaf children and entering a mainstream school environment. She struggles with various hearing aids, learning to lip read, and finding friends that will treat her the same as everyone else. Ultimately, she discovers a secret super power. With her Phonic ear, she can hear the teacher all over the building. She uses this ability to make friends with her classmates by playing look out for them when they are suppose to be reading. She sees herself as a superhero. It is her way to connect with the students in her class and let them know that even with a disability she is just like everyone else.
Response: I purchased this book for another class over the summer. I read it and absolutely loved it! I have donated my personal copy to may elementary library for my students to enjoy. The illustrations are very appealing. A few years back, I met a young adult who was deaf. I always wondered what her life must be like at times. I realize that this books doesn't tell the story of every deaf child, but it does give some perspective for a person who is not hearing impaired. This is the major strength of the book. It allows children to feel how others with a hearing loss may feel. It has the power to put the reader in someone else's shoes. It teaches the lesson that having a disability doesn't change the person, just how they do certain things.
Teaching ideas/guides: http://www.abramsbooks.com/academic/El_Deafo_TeachingGuide.pdf
No comments:
Post a Comment