Maus, by Art Spiegelman, is a great stand-alone work for
helping reluctant readers get into reading in school. Struggling readers can
feel like they are getting something deep out of this thick graphic novel, and
will be able to have deep and critical discussion about its events and themes,
as well as how the medium proves to be effective for such a tale. Maus
addresses deep topics, utilizing a medium that is very accessible to all
students. It doesn’t need to stand alone, however. Maus would be an excellent
supplemental work, one that could be paired with another Young Adult novel with
similar themes (for instance, “The Book Thief.”) The latter option is actually
a great way to help promote cross-text discussion that addresses CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.9-10.7:
“Analyze the representation of a subject or a key scene in two different
artistic mediums, including what is emphasized or absent in each treatment.”
Being that it handles a lot of darker themes, including
suicide and, well, Nazi-Germany, it would be important to talk to students
ahead of time. Pre-reading would be important to make sure students have some
historical background, especially because the cute pictures and animals might
be misleading. Due to the fact that Maus handles a lot of heavy subjects and
doesn’t necessarily paint Art’s father in a positive light, it could get some
backlash from parents. I don’t know if parents would complain about a graphic
novel being taught in class if they knew what it was about and the maturity
level of it. It could also open up discussion about students’ own experience
with some of the more personal issues.
What excites me most is that Maus would be a perfect as supplemental reading in a 20th Century History class. It would certainly get students engaged in discussions about Nazi Germany. Not only that, but because it is actually based on a true story (unlike “The Book Thief,”) it makes it that much more poignant for readers. I would absolutely love to integrate this into a history course, even more than I would an English course. There are endless possibilities.
What excites me most is that Maus would be a perfect as supplemental reading in a 20th Century History class. It would certainly get students engaged in discussions about Nazi Germany. Not only that, but because it is actually based on a true story (unlike “The Book Thief,”) it makes it that much more poignant for readers. I would absolutely love to integrate this into a history course, even more than I would an English course. There are endless possibilities.
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