Self Selected Project: Book Club

Book Club Members: Thomas Williams, Jill Baker, Rusty Mendenhall, Kayla Youngs, and Jessie Jackson.

Books Read: Maus I, Maus II, and John, Paul, George, and Ben

I loved Maus I, but nobody else did. I liked how it covered so much of what it was like to live during the holocaust. It gave a real personal touch to it that history books do not give. I also loved the animations for it, they were very well done. The relationship that Art had with his father father was very unique. They didn't seem to get along very well. The book portrayed the father as a ignorant and not conscious of others feelings. His new wife was on the verge of leaving him. It was a unique perspective to see a holocaust survivor that was not very tolerant. You would expect a holocaust survivor to be a very loving and respectful person, but I think that is a big misconception that the book does a great job tackling. The book showed that the holocaust was the source of much baggage for the father, and his life was complicated. I do not think I would require my class to read this book for our class, but I would allow suggest this book for more mature students. It has heavy themes and might be hard for some students.

I did not read Maus II, but those in the group that did liked it better than Maus I. I will most likely be reading it over Christmas break. Those that read Maus II in our group said it dives deeper into the fathers present life and into the concentration camps. These were two topics the first book did not cover very much. I am anxious to read this book.

John, Paul, George, and Ben is definitely a children's book. However, it is funny and it proves an important point. Not all history that we grow up hearing about is factual. This book tells several short stories of each of these historical people. It tells what part of the story is fact and what parts of the story is fictional. It also adds a comical side to each story. I would read this short book in any history class to prove the point that not all history is accurate.

This was a fun project because I feel like I do not get to do all that much reading for books that I choose. Since I love to read, this was a rewarding assignment because I loved both of the books that I read. I would highly recommend both of these books to a friend!