Five books with characters who turn disability into superpowers

Cammie McGovern is the author of A Step Toward Falling, Say What You Will as well as the adult novels Neighborhood Watch, Eye Contact, and The Art of Seeing. At Tor.com she tagged five books about characters who turn disability into superpowers, including:

El Deafo by Cece Bell

In this much-celebrated graphic memoir for middle-grade readers, Cece Bell recalls her own childhood spent with hearing impairment. In this case, she turns the “Phonic Ear” hearing aid she was forced to wear as a child—an unwieldy device attached to her chest—into a superpower that allows her to hear her teacher’s private conversation (after they’ve forgotten to turn their microphones off.) Her “power” is, in part, what many disabled kids have: access to and an understanding of the adult world that her peers don’t share.

Read about another entry on the list.

Coffee with a Canine: Cece Bell and Tuna, O.D., and Sue Bee.

--Marshal Zeringue