#10 Maus II: A Survivor's Tale (Spiegelman)

Not a beat was missed between Maus I and Maus II. The heart-wrenching tale continues with Art recording the details of his father's Holocaust experience.

Wow. This was an outstanding account of Vladek during the horror of Hitler. The story was told in cartoon pictures and the sentences were in choppy English, but that only enhanced my experience. Even with the animals representing people, I was able to engage and feel the story. This was without a doubt an extremely powerful and enlightening book. I was completely immersed and learned many new things about the Holocaust and the legacy it has left behind.

# 9 The Lost Boy (Pelzer)

Dave Pelzer continues his life story after being rescued from his parent's home. He shares his experience in the foster care system. While his behavior as a child left a lot to be desired, he continued to persevere and make something of his life.

This book contained just as much heart wrenching turmoil as in A Child Called "It". David's childhood years were continually spoiled by almost every classmate or friend he tried to make. His desire to have a place to call "home" was consequential, but something always seemed to get in the way. All he wanted to do was to fit in this world - just like everybody else. His sad experiences may not be unique, but they were relentless and he didn't give up. My heart went out to him every step of the way.

# 8 A Walk in the Woods (Bryson)

Bill Bryson with his college buddy, Stephen Katz, take on the Appalachian Trail (AT) without much experience in the great American outdoors. The desired outcome was to complete the 2,100+ mile trail that traverses Georgia to Maine.

Traveling on the AT with Bryson and Katz was the highlight of the book, while the other half was the preparation and history of the AT, which was dispersed throughout the book. The history was interesting (it really was), but I was so entralled with getting back to walking the trail with the guys that I didn't care to hear the history.

Ultimately, the expedition was filled with witty and comical comments, along with some blunders and eye-opening experiences. Katz, being a one-of-a-kind character, together with Bryson, made quite a team. I could have listened to their conversations forever.

# 7 Maus I: A Survivor's Tale (Spiegelman)

Vladek Spiegelman's tale of surviving the Holocaust was written by his son, Art, through unique comic graphics depicting the Jews as mice, the Germans cats, the Poles pigs, the French frogs, and the Americans dogs. The book is told in the form of Art interviewing his father, Vladek.

A Holocaust story is heartbreaking no matter how it is told and comic form does not change that fact. Vladek's story is very familiar, yet it still has its own nuances. Understandably so, the aftermath of such terror is ingrained in his being, thus affecting his relationships.

This was another positive experience in graphic novels for me, however, I was distracted by the characters. I understand the use of such characters and they may have added an aspect to the story that wouldn't be achieved by using something else, but I still would have preferred people. Vladek's relationships are edgy and somewhat awkward to watch. That certainly attests to Art's ability to convey his thoughts through comics and a few words.

# 6 Blankets (Thompson)

Craig Thompson shares the natural progression of his childhood through the combination of pictures and words. The memories of living in his parents' home with his brother, going to school and church, and seeking the desires of his heart are the focus.

Once I got over the shock that this book weighed a ton, I turned the first page and became wrapped up in the story. I soon forgot that it was almost 600 pages long! The emotions that Thompson was able to depict in his drawings were fabulous and even though they were caricatures, he made them come alive. This honest and deep coming-of-age memoir is powerful in its realism. Through the pictures and words, I felt as if I experienced Craig's life right alongside him. The final pages left me a little gloomy or empty, so I am tacking on the fact that he is, now, a successful graphic novelist and hopefully has found himself and happiness.

Oh yes, there are some pertinent graphic pictures that are meant for mature young adults.

# 5 The Birthday Party (Alpert)

Stanley Alpert describes, in detail, his ordeal of being kidnapped near his apartment in Greenwich Village by a group who set out to only steal his ATM card and PIN number.

Stanley's story is one that I never want to experience and he does a great job of explaining the details of all that happened to him. However, maybe I have a distorted view because I read a lot of suspense novels, but I found it to be lacking in oomph. Just the thought of being kidnapped arouses anxiety in me and I didn't feel any major fear from him throughout the whole episode. Yes, thankfully for his sake, he remained calm, which contributed to his survival, but for a written memoir I would have thought he would have chosen words that would instill a sense of fear or make it more suspenseful. He literally just wrote what happened. By no means am I suggesting that he embellish his story, but I think the manner in which it was told could have been more exciting.

# 4 The Nazi Officer's Wife (Beer)

This is the story of Edith Hahn, a Jewish girl growing up with her family in Vienna, Austria at the beginning of WWII. Edith shares her unique story of survival from childhood thru adulthood including, as the title indicates, marrying a Nazi.

This memoir was devastatingly excellent. I had never read a memoir of a Holocaust survivor that came from this perspective. It was very difficult to put down. Edith exudes courage throughout the book and I applaud her in mustering up the courage, once again, to enlighten others of her plight.

# 3 If I Am Missing or Dead (Latus)

Janine and her sister, Amy, both grow up with an abusive father and as they mature, they continually choose men that maintain what they know and expect.

My heart goes out to battered women and I hope that this book will encourage those that are in unhealthy relationships to reach out and get help before it's too late.

What has irritated me is that the title is very misleading. It appears that it would be focused on the person that wrote the note, but it is far from that. This is Janine's story with Amy thrown in as an afterthought.

# 2

Here are my thoughts on My Life as a Furry Red Monster by Kevin Clash.

# 1

Here are my thoughts on A Child Called "It" by Dave Pelzer.

Joy's Challenge Choices

Here's my list of possibilities:


The Birthday Party: A Memoir of Survival (Alpert)

The Nazi Officer's Wife: How One Jewish Woman Survived the Holocaust (Beer)

Notes from Nethers: Growing Up in a Sixties Commune (Eugster)

The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down: A Hmong Child, Her American Doctors, and the Collision of Two Cultures (Fadiman)

If I Am Missing or Dead: A Sister's Story of Love, Murder, and Liberation (Latus)

Stuart: A Life Backwards (Masters)

Fish: A Memoir of a Boy in a Man's Prison (Parsell)

A Child Called "It": One Child's Courage to Survive (Pelzer)

My Life as a Furry Red Monster: What Being Elmo Has Taught Me About Life, Love and Laughing Out Loud (Clash)


Can't wait to start!