Maus

Spiegelman, Art. Maus A Survivor’s Tale: My Father Bleeds History. New York: Pantheon, 1992

Intended Audience: Ages 13 and older

Genre: Historical Fiction

Personal Reaction: Maus was a difficult read. Not because of the topic, though the Holocaust is never an easy topic to read about, but because it was a graphic novel.  One of the first pages it shows Jews being drug from their homes and children "not screaming anymore" when they would not stop crying.  Even though Jews were portrayed as mice and Nazis as cats it was not difficult to see how their horrible the living conditions for survivors, and those who did not make it, was.  

I have always had an interest in books about the Holocaust but I hadn't read many showing the life of a survivor after the war.  Seeing how difficult it was for Vladek to throw anything away made sense, as not having enough would always be a consistent thought in his mind.  As difficult as it was to read, this is one book I would recommend for others to read as well, the graphics are very well done and brings history to life.   

Author Facts: Art Spiegelman began cartooning in high school and decided to go against his parents wishes of becoming a dentist.  He believes that comics are on the rise, as they are often the way the brain works.  With this mentality he gave a lecture titled "What the %@&*! Happened to Comics?" a historical journey through the history of comics.  

Author Website: http://barclayagency.com/spiegelman.html