TOP TEN

Citation: The complete maus by Art Spiegelman. New York: Pantheon, 1996.

ISBN: 978-0-67940-641-9

Annotation: The personal tale of Vladek Spiegelman's life as a young man, his incredible Holocaust survival story, and the trauma he suffered his entire life.

Age range: 9-12 grades

Media used by illustrator: black and white ink drawings

Personal Rating: 5Q/4P

Curriculum Usage: highly recommended in a high school history class.

Literary Device: Personification - Spiegelman uses animal forms to indicate specific races, ethnicities, and personality traits.

Notes about Challenges:

Citation: http://www.sequentialtart.com/article.php?id=665

Description of Challenge: Maus, by Art Spiegelman, was challenged several times, once in Oregon and other time in California. The Oregon challenge took place in 2005, when the book was accused of being anti-ethnic. In the California case, would-be censors complained about the portrayal of Polish people. Maus was not removed from either library.

Response to Challenge: Maus is one of the finest graphic novels ever written, and it should be included in nearly every library, school, public, or academic. Spiegelman is has hard on himself in the book as he is on any specific group, and he is careful to distribute blame for the events of WWII evenly. For instance, he does not suggest that the responsibility for the Holocaust lies solely with the Germans. It is, therefore, difficult to accuse Spiegelman of racism or anti-ethnic bias. Including this book in a library afford students a special opportunity to understand the Holocaust; presenting such a horrific event in comic book form allows Spiegelman to be uniquely honest and candid, and this format will make Holocaust literature more accessible to children and teens.

ateater/07-15-09

Citation: The Complete Maus: A Survivor’s Tale  by Art Spiegelman. New York: Pantheon, 1996.

ISBN: 0394747232

Annotation:  Spiegelman attempts to come to terms with the horrific physical and emotional traumas his parents were subjected to during the holocaust.   

Media: Pen and Ink

Curricular Connections: History

Rating: 5Q/5P

S.F 06/21/09