Age rating and parents' guide:El Deafo
by Cece Bell
Ages 9–11
El Deafo by Cece Bell is best for children aged 9–11. It has no violence, nothing scary, a little romance and no bad language.
Cece turns hearing loss and a powerful hearing aid into the imagined superhero identity El Deafo while seeking true friendship.
Content ratings
How much of each a parent can expect, from none to strong.
- Violence
- None
- Scary moments
- None
- Romance
- Mild
- Bad language
- None
Content checked by Dhiraj Bodade, co-founder of Bookstaken, on .
At a glance
- Graphic novel
- Easy to get into from the first page
- Pictures on almost every page
- Emotionally light
- A good pick for reluctant readers
Great for kids who like
- Friendship
Reading mood
- Thoughtful
Good to talk about
- Friendship
- Emotions & empathy
Books like El Deafo
Similar stories for the same ages, none more intense than this one should be for its youngest readers.
Ages 9–11
Roller Girl
by Victoria Jamieson
Astrid joins roller derby camp without her best friend and learns resilience, teamwork, and confidence.
Ages 9–14
The Boy at the Back of the Class
by Onjali Q. Rauf
A refugee boy joins Alexa’s class, and classmates work together to reunite him with his missing family.
Ages 9–11
Save Me a Seat
by Sarah Weeks & Gita Varadarajan
Ravi and Joe begin as rivals over a missing lunchbox, then discover their differences can become the basis for friendship.
Ages 9–14
Anne of Green Gables
by L.M. Montgomery
Imaginative orphan Anne transforms life at Green Gables while finding family, friendship, and belonging on Prince Edward Island.
A good book is the start. A mentor makes it stick.
In a free 1:1 session, a trained Bookstaken mentor reads with your child, asks what they think and helps the reading habit last.
