El Deafo
By Cece Bell
Turtleback Books
Hardback $30.95
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This is the author’s own story of growing up deaf from the age of three. Her experience is illustrated through speech bubbles that fade or contain incomprehensible babble, until she is equipped with the phonic ear: cumbersome and unattractive, but enabling her at last to hear. She deals with childhood issues of friendship and fitting in, and envisions herself as superhero El Deafo. Brilliantly funny storytelling.
