Current Reads & Reviews: Graphic Novel EL DEAFO

Bell, Cece, and David Lasky. El Deafo. New York, NY: Amulet Books, 2014. ISBN: 1419710206

Summary: Jump into these colorful cute little illustrations that go along beautifully with the story of a courageous little girl who has lost her hearing and feels out of place pretty much everywhere, sometimes even in her own home.

Analysis: Finding a good friend is hard to do and being different is a challenge a lot of young kids have to face. Cece Bell's personal experience is a perfect example of this. Everyone can relate to Cece and her struggle to fit in. This story takes you on Cece's journey from the beginning when she loses her hearing to her triumphs along the way, by dealing with not really knowing what is going on around you and the alienation that comes with that. Every child goes through the insecurities of fitting in somewhere with someone at school. This memoir is a great example of how to overcome these insecurities and be brave.
                Bell's inner thoughts are played out in the vibrant bold colors of this graphic novel. The reader sees how Cece had do learn to use visual clues to understand context, feels her struggle with self-confidence and how she feels like she is on her own planet. All she wants is a commonality with those around her. She feels at odds especially in PE, where a lot of students feels at odd whether they have a disability or not.
                Cece does not seem to accept herself as she is until the time when her microphone is broken ands she truly sees the importance of it and how not having it is even worse. After this obstacle, the reader sees a transformation within Cece. With her mic in working order again, she has more confidence, so much so that she starts letting her classmates in on her little secret... that "El Deafo" can hear things others cannot. This gives her "superhero" status in the eyes of her peers. She even hears their exclamations about wanting and wishing for their very own hearing aid devices.
               A great story about acceptance, acceptance of your self and of others, and how being different can and should be embraced. Cece Bell sharing her experience will help young students in similar situations learn to cope with their own. "I was a deaf kid surrounded by kids who could hear. I felt different, and in my mind, being different was not a good thing." A Note from the Author is worth reading as Bell shares her thoughts about writing and sharing this memoir as well as gives the reader more insight to the Deaf Community. "And being different? That turned out to be the best part of all. I found that with a little creativity, and a lot of dedication, any difference can be turned into something amazing. Our differences are our superpowers."

Accolades/Scholarly Reviews: Newbery Honor (2015); Pennsylvania Young Readers' Chopice Award for Grades 3-6 (2016); Dorthoy Confield Fisher Children's Book Award (2016); Will Eisner Comic Indusrty Awards for Best Publication for Kids (ages 8-12) and nominated for Best Reality-Based Work (2015); Bluestem Book Award Nominee (2017); Kirkus Prize Nominee for Young Readers' Literature (2014 Finalist); Charlotte Huch Honor Book (2015) and many more.

From Publisher's Weekly 07/07/2014: "Bell’s earnest rabbit/human characters, her ability to capture her own sonic universe (“eh sounz lah yur unnah wawah!”), and her invention of an alter ego—the cape-wearing El Deafo, who gets her through stressful encounters (“How can El Deafo free herself from the shackles of this weekly humiliation?” she asks as her mother drags her to another excruciating sign language class)—all combine to make this a standout autobiography. Cece’s predilection for bursting into tears at the wrong time belies a gift for resilience that makes her someone readers will enjoy getting to know."

Connections: When teaching about autobiographies, this is an excellent book to use for the younger grades. Pair it with Raina Telgemeier's Smile and Liz Prince's Tomboy. After students read these, have them write their own illustrated memoir about a time in their life they felt out of place or not accepted.

Current Reads & Reviews: Michael L. Printz Award Winner I'LL GIVE YOU THE SUN

Nelson, Jandy. I'll Give You the Sun. Bergenfield, NJ: Penguin Group USA, 2014. ISBN: 0803734964

Summary: Told from two different perspectives, siblings, twins, brother and sister, seeking and failing to find themselves within each other, and then on their own. Noah and Jude are always competing for the love and acceptance they seek from others and their parents, but the secrets they carry bury their true selves down deep where they are struggling to survive and find their way to who they really are. Tragic yet hopeful, ugly yet beautiful, this story is a piece art. Colorfully written, you see two young adults portrayed in a different light with every page you turn.

Analysis: This story of transformation will have young adults relating to the two complex and flawed protagonists, Noah and Jude, and their struggles to find who they are while dealing with the obstacles that life throws at them along the way. Noah and Jude are so relatable the reader feels like they know them and wants them to finds themselves so they can feel whole yet once again. "In every set of twins, there is one angel, one devil." Noah is a young man trying to come to terms with being gay in a world that is not ready to embrace this. "I can unzip the air and disappear inside it, and that's what I do until I'm far away from them and what happened." "It was so much easier just to blend in than to be me." Jude is a young lady trying to live up to her mother's standards yet struggling to find and be who she is. She hears the ghost of her grandmother and cherishes her grandmother's "Bible" that has all sorts of tidbits to deal with the hard-balls life throws at you.
                Nelson does a beautiful job interweaving two perspectives, Noah telling his story from the age of thirteen, Jude telling hers at the age of sixteen. The plot keeps you turning the pages hoping these two will soon find each other again. It is awesome the way it weaves through their lives unraveling here and there then coming together to make a beautiful story as one. Nelson writes like she is painting her characters lives. Noah and Jude are at the age when each decision can change the course of their lives transforming from adolescents to adulthood, freedoms to responsibilities. These two learn there are consequences to their actions, but they also learn from their mistakes and work to redeem those.
                Nelson has her very own unique style. She incorporates color throughout the story along with tons of imagery, similes, and metaphors that "paint the picture" for the reader. "... his eyes have turned cloudy and dim. And it's like he's melting into a puddle of himself." Nelson's words are lyrical at times... "Reality is crushing. The world is a wrong-sized shoe. How can anyone stand it?" The colors change with the emotions the characters feel affecting the mood of the story as it progresses. The reader learns a lot about art and the different techniques and how one can express themselves through it. Noah's character is always painting in his mind and throughout the novel he gives titles to these paintings... "This time because I am sad. And scared. And because my skin has never fit this badly before. (SELF-PORTRAIT: Boy in a Blender)." Nelson is an expert in incorporating the arts, even poetry..."The road of excess leads to the palace of wisdom. -William Blake" and "Winston Churchill: 'If you're going through hell, keep going."
                This is a story about connecting... the twins connection, connecting with other people when they feel so different, so unconnected. A story of finding one's own self and place in this harsh world. "Or maybe a person is just made up of a lot of people. Maybe we're accumulating these new selves all the time." So true!

Accolades/Scholarly Reviews: Michael L. Printz Award (2015); Georgia Peach Book Award Nominee for Honor Book (2015); Josette Frank Award for Younger Readers (2015); Pennsylvania Young Readers' Choice Award Nominee for Young Adults (2016) and many more accolades.

From School Library Journal 09/01/2014: "Vibrant imagery and lyrical prose propel readers forward as the twins experience first love, loss, betrayal, acceptance, and forgiveness. Art and wonder fill each page, and threads of magical realism lend whimsy to the narrative. Readers will forgive convenient coincidences because of the characters' in-depth development and the swoon-worthy romances. The novel's evocative exploration of sexuality, grief, and sibling relationships will ring true with teens."

From Booklist 11/01/2014: "Nelson structures her sophomore novel brilliantly, alternating between Noah’s first-person narrative in the years before the accident and Jude’s in the years following, slowly revealing the secrets the siblings hide from each other and the ways they each throw their hearts into their artwork. In an electric style evoking the highly visual imaginations of the young narrators, Nelson captures the fraught, antagonistic, yet deeply loving relationship Jude and Noah share."

Connections: This would be a great opportunity for students to learn about different artists and their different techniques. The students could view and research Jackson Pollock, Edvard Munch, Pablo Picasso, Gustav Klimt, Wassily Kandinsky, Franz Marc, Freda Kahlo, and Diego Riveria. They could also pull the poems that were mentioned from William Blake, Winston Churchill to Elizabeth B. Browning.