BOTW: two graphic novels

Graphic novels are not a format that greatly appeals to me.  That's a personal preference. I know they are very diverse, from traditional comic books to Japanese manga to original works of fiction and nonfiction, with titles appropriate for (and to appeal to) kids, teens, and adults.  They're all represented in my public library's collection.  (Said library being my former place of work.)

One of the reading prompts for The Page Turner 2023 is "a graphic novel."   I welcomed the opportunity to expand my reading horizons and chose Art Spiegelman's Maus (v. 1 and v. 2).

I've known about Spiegelman's powerful book for decades. It has been recently been challenged in a number of school districts "for violence, nudity, and profanity." I think it is a splendid story. Vladek Spiegelman is a man scarred emotionally and physically by the unimaginable horror of his experience in the Holocaust, forever questioning why and how he survived when his family and friends did not. He was clever and scheming, loyal and loving. His son Art uses his talent as an illustrator and writer to try to make sense of his father's tortured and complex story. Art's love shines through his exasperation with his father. The Holocaust should never be regarded as just a historical episode. It affected millions of people and the ripples from that are with us today.

As for the challenges: no, it is not a book for small children. But high school students can handle it, and certainly adults can, too.

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Maia Kobabe's memoir Gender Queer has also been challenged in schools.  I read it last fall to see what the fuss was about.  I thought it was great.  Maia comes to terms with er [that's a pronoun preference] identity on many levels -- sexual, intellectual, professional, familial--and documents that journey in word and picture.  Once again, it is not a book for small children.  For teens with questions, or teens with friends/relatives with questions, or for adults with questions,  this story of one person's experience can illuminate the way for others.

(And I think Kobabe's parents are exemplars of understanding and support..)