Inspiration & Celebration!

Once again I had the pleasure of attending the Rhode Island Children's Book Festival at the Lincoln School in Providence.  This year the highlight for me was a presentation by Cece Bell, the author of El Deafo and this year’s winner of the Rhode Island Children’s Book Award!

Cece spoke about how she lost her hearing, what it was like to be the only student in school with a hearing aide, and how she reframed what made her different into something that made her feel special.  She compared herself to Batman, a normal man who turned himself into a superhero with the help of technology!  She is a wonderful presenter and storyteller, and she had her whole audience completely under her spell.  (Hmm...she claims to have just the one superpower, but she has many other gifts tucked into her utility belt!)  

Cece actually brought her original Phonic Ear with her on stage and showed us how she’d put it on.  Click on the video below to hear Cece retell her own superhero “origin story”!

In school Cece would always wear the Phonic Ear under her clothes, and she told a really funny story about how she tried to explain away the enormous bulge it created:

Cece told the audience that the book’s theme is about finding true friendship.  “It’s a book about friendship and trying to find people who like you in a genuine way, who like you for who you are.”  While I know my students truly enjoyed the humorous scenes in the book, that wasn’t the only reason that they awarded the title with a column full of gold stars.  The story really spoke to their own deeply felt need to belong and to feel a true connection with someone else.  It’s difficult to read about her efforts to stay friends with the bossy and self-centered Laura, and she even debates whether the unsatisfying relationship is worth it.  This makes it that much more wonderful to watch Cece’s friendship with Martha develop, and we all desire the same effortless rapport that they enjoy right from the start.  Of course, we can all also relate to the common fears and worry over saying or doing the wrong thing and suddenly finding ourselves on the outside.  Not only is Cece’s story relatable, but the triumphant ending is also heartwarming and satisfying. 

El Deafo reminds me of Ruby on the Outside, one of the current nominees for the Rhode Island Children’s Book Award.  I’ve been reading it to a group of fourth-graders, and they are really responding to the theme of true friendship. Ruby is warned to stay away from Margalit because she's different, but Ruby discovers that she really enjoys spending time with her. My students are a really drawn to the free-spirited and confident Margalit, and they’re critical of the girl who tells Ruby to stay away from her. Of course, the pressure on kids to fit in and be accepted by their peer groups is enormous, and there's something comforting about seeing Ruby making a connection with someone else. Ruby has a secret that she's terrified others will learn, and she's worried that she'll lose Margalit’s friendship if the truth about her is revealed. My students are anxious to discover what is going to happen next and if Ruby has found someone who can look past what embarrasses her and makes her feel different.  Like El Deafo last year, I’m confident that Ruby on the Outside is going to be awarded a lot of gold stars by the students who read it!

Thanks to the RICBA Committee for the fun photo op!

Cece ended her presentation with this inspirational message:

“It took me a long, long time to finally be comfortable with telling the world, ‘Hey, I’m deaf! It’s not a big deal!’  It’s just something about me that actually has made me stronger. And I’m hoping that all of you who read the book will take away the message that even though you might feel different from everybody else those things that make you different are actually the things that make you interesting.  Those are your superpowers!  Use them and share them with other people because it’s so much more fun to share the things about you that make you different and cool and interesting than it is to keep them tucked away and hidden like I did for so many years.”

Needless to say, it was another energizing

and exciting book festival, 

and I'm so grateful to Meagan Lenihan

and all of the other organizers, presenters,

and volunteers who make it all happen each year!!!   

THANK YOU!!!

I nearly missed my chance to get our copy of El Deafo signed; her line of fans was reeeeeeally long and she had another engagement to get to!  I was so happy to get a chance to say a quick hello!