This is the real deal. El Deafo takes a subject that could easily become after-school-special territory and instead delivers a funny, honest, beautifully illustrated story about what it's like to be a kid who's different—and how that difference can be both a superpower and incredibly lonely.

Cece Bell nails the emotional truth of childhood: the desperate desire to fit in, the mortification of standing out, the search for someone who really gets you. The graphic novel format makes it fly by, and the anthropomorphic bunny characters add whimsy without diminishing the authentic experience.

What makes this exceptional is how it serves multiple audiences simultaneously. Hearing-impaired kids get a protagonist who looks like them (metaphorically speaking—she's a bunny, but you know what I mean). Kids who feel different for any reason will recognize Cece's journey. And kids who've never thought about disability get an empathy masterclass that doesn't feel preachy.

The Newbery Honor is well-deserved. This is a book that will stick with kids, spark important conversations, and maybe—just maybe—make them think twice about the kid who seems different.