El Deafo by Cece Bell
Bell’s graphic memoir reimagines her as a rabbit with a superhero alter ego. Young Cece worries about starting at a new school, especially since she has to wear a hearing aid strapped to her chest because she’s Deaf. At her old school, everyone was Deaf. But now, she’s the only Deaf kid in her class. To combat her anxiety, she imagines herself as the Deaf superhero, El Deafo, who can hear things far away with her incredible hearing aid. El Deafo helps Deaf kids feel seen and understood. Cece is so relatable as she finds her inner courage as she lives her life with her disability. El Deafo went on to win the Vermont Golden Dome Book Award, was a Newbery Medal Winner, and is now an animated series on Apple+.