This was a cute, quick read: a graphic memoir aimed at kids, written by an author who went deaf at four after contracting meningitis. The bulk of it's about how her hearing loss, and the hearing aids that somewhat mitigated that loss, affected her relationships with other young kids and at primary school. There are all sorts of aspects to hearing loss at that age that I'd never considered - being at a sleepover, for instance, and the other girls are giggling and talking and Bell is able to take part, but then when the lights go out she can no longer see to lipread, and so ends up feeling left out and alienated. Small things like that, which are really not small things at all and which clearly (and understandably!) feel enormous to a little girl. Also things like not really hearing well enough to understand what was going on in P.E. kickball classes and getting an unsatisfactory grade because of it, although I felt both less and more sympathy there; I could hear perfectly well as kid and still sucked at sport. Some experiences are universal.

I do think the ending peters off a little and could be much stronger, but overall it's a gentle, friendly way to introduce kids (and adults!) to life with hearing loss.