El Deafo by Cece Bell

El Deafo is a graphic novel.
The title just doesn’t seem right….until you read the book.

Let me explain:

When Cece is 4 years old she gets really sick and loses her hearing.  She starts kindergarten with special hearing aids that help her to hear, but not well enough to understand everything she hears.  For example, words are blurry to her. It’s hard for her to tell the difference between 'bear' and 'pear' and other words that sound only a little bit different from one another.  So she is taught to read lips in addition to wearing her hearing aids.  This story tells what life is like for Cece as she grow up.  It’s told with humor, heart and great pictures.  Cece navigates a different world than a lot of people; because of this she has a really rich inner life that helps her get through some of its isolation.  This is where El Deafo comes in: El Deafo is Cece’s alter-ego super-hero self and can say and do things that Cece wishes she could.

Did I mention that El Deafo is funny? It is and much more.  If you liked Raina Telgemeier’s Smile, you’ll like El Deafo.

Sisters by Raina Telgemeier

A few months ago I reviewed Smile, Raina Telgemeier’s debut graphic novel, and loved it. So of course I was thrilled to see Telgemeier’s autobiographical character return in her latest graphic novel entitled Sisters just released in August of this year. Sisters is considered a ‘companion’ novel to Smile. So feel free to read either first.

Raina is excited when she learns she is going to be a big sister. But from a very young age Amara does not feel the same way about Raina. Amara is cranky and generally prefers to be left alone. Sisterly tension ensues. Not only do they suffer the usual sibling rivalry over possessions, pets and space, but they are also both budding artists.

The bulk of the story focuses on the summer between Raina’s middle and high school year. The family decides to embark on a 3 week road trip from San Francisco to Colorado for a family reunion. The novel is generally depicted in the present day, but is littered with flashbacks to various times in Raina’s life.

Sisters is a quick, light funny read. It’s perfect for an airplane or car ride. Find it under 741.5J/TEL.

Smile by Raina Telgemeier

As a survivor of “dental abuse,” I can guarantee Smile is the perfect gift for the “brace-face” in your life. I can say “brace-face” because I not only had braces as a tween in the early 90s (like Raina in Smile), but am wearing them again now as an adult.

That retainer your dentist gives you when the braces come off? Use it.

Oh, and I also had a freakish six wisdom teeth pulled. But I digress. Needless to say Smile appealed to me because Raina, like myself, is on close terms with the “dontists.”

One evening after a girl scout troop meeting, 6th grader Raina trips, falls and knocks out her two front teeth. A four-year nightmare of dentists, endodontists, periodontists and orthodontists ensues. Smile is a coming of age graphic novel based on the life of the author Raina Telgemeier. Remarkably, Telgemeier is able to make painful dental work funny. Granted, there is more to the story than just headgear and root canals. Raina has boy troubles, earthquakes and mean “friends” to come to terms with.

It’s a nice quick read with bubbly, colorful illustrations. I especially enjoyed the depictions of overzealous dentists and the San Francisco skyscape.

You can find Smile in our collection as well as Telgemeier’s second graphic novel entitled Drama under 741.5J/TEL. Raina returns with the August 26th release of Sisters.