Maus: A Survivor's Tale. 1: My Father Bleeds History

Spiegelman, Art. (1986). Maus: A survivor’s tale. 1: My father bleeds history, New York: Pantheon Books.

Summary: This story is about the Holocaust. It is portrayed through mice and cat characters. The story is an account through one characters perspective, Vladek. He is being interviewed by his son Artie. Artie is a reporter and decides he wants to write about his father through pictures. The interesting point about this story is that it does not completely focus on the actual Holocaust. It really gives an actual person’s (or mouse in this portrayal) experience up to the point of the concentration camps. Vladek’s account talks about his life prior to the war and the restrictions put on Jews. He recalls his life with his wife and family. This really allows readers to connect to the character through this experience and later sympathize with his struggles during the tough times and concentration camps.

Rationale for Selection: This was a graphic novel, which is comic book style text. The suggestion was given to read this book because it was a good author and a great book. I figured this was a great opportunity to dive in and enjoy.

Reader Response: I did not know what to expect when I saw the book. I started flipping through and realized that this was exactly like a comic book. I thought it would just incorporate pictures within the text, definitely not. I was a little shaky in reading the book, thinking to myself I will get bored and not focus. I mean I like reading Archie comics but even then sometimes if the comic went to long, I lost focus. But very much to my surprise, I started reading and could not even put the book down. I even took it to a restraint with some friends because I had to finish it. Then I was completely let down that I did not purchase 1 and 2 together because it leaves you hanging. So I strongly suggest, buying both so you can continue reading into the next one.

Genre and Themes: Historical Fiction, Holocaust

Teaching Thinking notes: Without even getting into specific teaching notes, this book would be a great introduction into the Holocaust. Not too many kids may know much about it. This story would be a great opportunity for students to write questions they think of about the Holocaust. It could be a great way to open up a class discussion. I would offer other resources to help answer questions and allow students to do their own research.