When four year old Cece came down with meningitis, her whole world changed. Cece entered the world of deafness and all of the challenges that go with it. Cece used hearing aids to overcome some of the challenges, but hearing aids only go so far. This is author Cece Bell’s childhood story dealing with her lack of self-confidence due to wearing a large chest mounted hear aid (she stands out, and not in a good way) and other peoples over compensations when trying to help Cece understand what they are saying. Talking louder does not make her hear it better, nor does talking slowly make it easier to read lips.

Cece slowly develops friends, one is too bossy but seems not to notice her hearing aid, another one talks too loud and too slowly and when a new neighbor girl moves in across the street Cece acquires a true friend.

Cece Bell shares her fun memories, too. Cece’s new hearing aid model for school has her teacher wearing a special microphone. This allows Cece to hear her teacher even when the teacher is in another room, say – the restroom. Now, Cece’s class can goof-off when the teacher is out of the classroom because Cece warns the class prior to the teacher’s return. What a super power!

Cece Bell’s “A Note from the Author” ends with- “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.” ( 237)

AND because this is the Superpowered Edition! Cece Bell has included an additional forty pages of photos from her childhood, early El Deafo sketches, early El Deafo drafts with revisions and storyboards, and ends with items her readers have sent to her.