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Quick answer: If you loved Maus, read Art Spiegelman's Maus, then Marjane Satrapi's Persepolis, then Alison Bechdel's Fun Home, and Thi Bui's The Best We Could Do and Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons's Watchmen. All are graphic memoirs and war stories.
Art Spiegelman's Maus tells his father's Holocaust story in comic form. It is a landmark of graphic literature. These picks offer the same power through memoir, history or comics.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Ages | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maus | Art Spiegelman | Ages 13+ | graphic memoir |
| Persepolis | Marjane Satrapi | Adult | graphic memoir fans |
| Fun Home | Alison Bechdel | Adult | graphic memoir fans |
| The Best We Could Do | Thi Bui | Adult | graphic memoirs |
| Watchmen | Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons | Adult | landmark graphic novel |
| The Diary of a Young Girl | Anne Frank | 12+ | readers who want the true account |
| Man's Search for Meaning | Viktor E. Frankl | Adult | readers who want depth |
| The Zookeeper's Wife | Diane Ackerman | Adult | true stories |
| The Book Thief | Markus Zusak | 13+ | readers who love books |
| The Boy in the Striped Pajamas | John Boyne | 12+ | first-time readers of Holocaust fiction |
| Sarah's Key | Tatiana de Rosnay | Adult | readers who like dual timelines |
| Summer of Night | Dan Simmons | Adult | Holocaust memoir |
| El Deafo | Cece Bell | 8–12 | graphic memoirs |
| Pashmina | Nidhi Chanani | 10-14 | cultural identity |
| Ghost World | Daniel Clowes | Adult | indie classic |
1. Maus by Art Spiegelman
Spiegelman tells his father's survival story with animals as characters. A landmark of comics.
Best for: graphic memoir.
2. Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi
A graphic memoir of growing up in Iran during the revolution. Funny and sad.
Best for: graphic memoir fans.
3. Fun Home by Alison Bechdel
A graphic memoir of Bechdel's childhood and her father. Witty, sad and brilliant.
Best for: graphic memoir fans.
4. The Best We Could Do by Thi Bui
A graphic memoir about the author's family fleeing Vietnam. Beautiful artwork and honest storytelling.
Best for: graphic memoirs.
5. Watchmen by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons
Retired superheroes investigate a murder in an alternate 1985. Complex and brilliant.
Best for: landmark graphic novel.
6. The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank
The real diary of Anne Frank, who hid in Amsterdam during the war. Essential reading.
Best for: readers who want the true account.
7. Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl
A psychiatrist describes his time in Nazi camps and what kept people alive. A short, powerful classic.
Best for: readers who want depth.
8. The Zookeeper's Wife by Diane Ackerman
A Polish zookeeper and his wife shelter Jews in the Warsaw Zoo. Gentle and brave.
Best for: true stories.
9. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
Liesel, a girl in Nazi Germany, steals books and shares them with a Jewish man hiding in her basement. Narrated by Death.
Best for: readers who love books.
10. The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne
Bruno, the son of a camp commandant, befriends a boy on the other side of a fence. A fable, simple and sad.
Best for: first-time readers of Holocaust fiction.
11. Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay
A journalist uncovers the story of a girl caught in the Vel' d'Hiv roundup of Jews in Paris in 1942. Haunting.
Best for: readers who like dual timelines.
12. Summer of Night by Dan Simmons
In 1960 in Elm Haven, Illinois, a group of boys faces an ancient evil. A long, atmospheric read set in a small Midwestern town.
Best for: Holocaust memoir.
13. El Deafo by Cece Bell
A graphic memoir about a girl who loses her hearing and creates a superhero. Funny and warm.
Best for: graphic memoirs.
14. Pashmina by Nidhi Chanani
A teenager discovers a magical shawl that shows her India. A story about identity and family.
Best for: cultural identity.
15. Ghost World by Daniel Clowes
Two friends drift apart after high school. Dry, sad and sharp.
Best for: indie classic.
How We Chose These Books
Every pick is a real, widely available book that shares something specific with Maus: its tone, its themes, its pace or the kind of characters it puts at the center. We mixed well-known favorites with a few less obvious titles, and we noted who each book suits best so you can match it to the reader. Where a book belongs to a series, we list the first volume so you can start at the beginning.
If you are not sure where to begin, start with the first three picks in the table: they are the closest match to Maus. The rest of the list moves further out, so it works well once you know which part of the original you liked most.
How to Choose
For graphic memoirs, read Persepolis, Fun Home or The Best We Could Do. For Holocaust accounts, try The Diary of a Young Girl or Man's Search for Meaning. For comics as literature, pick Watchmen. Maus is heavy and best for older teens and adults.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Who wrote Maus?
Art Spiegelman.
What is it about?
His father's survival of the Holocaust, told in comics.
Did it win a major prize?
Yes, a Pulitzer Prize special award in 1992.
What age is it for?
Older teens and adults.
Which book here is best for indie classic?
Try Ghost World by Daniel Clowes, which suits readers looking for indie classic.
Which book here is best for cultural identity?
Try Pashmina by Nidhi Chanani, which suits readers looking for cultural identity.
Which book here is best for graphic memoirs?
Try El Deafo by Cece Bell, which suits readers looking for graphic memoirs.
Which book here is best for Holocaust memoir?
Try Summer of Night by Dan Simmons, which suits readers looking for Holocaust memoir.