Marx

Gr 9 Up—A graphic novel biography of Karl Marx that offers an intricately illustrated window into his personal travails and career. As in Freud (Nobrow, 2013), Maier and Simon present Marx's early years, his career highs and lows, his complex personal life, and how his works affected history. The illustrations help to explain concepts, such as capitalism, labor relations, economics, and communism. The extensive use of reds, orange, and yellow adeptly leads readers through the many phases of the man's tale. The narrative contains quotes and references from historical texts written by the subject and his colleague Friedrich Engels. The text can be disjointed from panel to panel, which may cause confusion for some kids. Still, this book is an excellent introduction to Marx and how his views shaped world history. It would be best read alongside a more in-depth exploration of the political theorist and the history of communism.—Annalise Ammer, City of Rochester Public Libraries, NY