In the Classroom: My 4th Graders Read and Respond to El Deafo

Every year I choose a newly published book for my 4th grade class to read in literature circles. It is fun to do a brand new book each year, one that is clearly going to be a classic. For instance, we did The One and Only Ivan shortly after it won the Newbery. This year, before it received its Newbery Honor, I decided it should be Cece Bell’s El Deafo.

Once I started thinking about how to do it I realized the usual literature circle format (especiallytheroles) weren’t right for Bell’s wonderf...