My Friend Dahmer, A look at a nonfiction graphic memoir by Derf Backderf

My Friend Dahmer

by Derf Backderf

A student of mine recommended this book to me and this book is very popular at the school library. I love reading crime and mystery fiction but this was my first nonfiction book in that genre.

This is a graphic novel and I think this was the best format for this memoir.  The author was a classmate of the serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer and provides a unique perspective of what led up to Dahmer's killing spree.

I think case studies should be made about incidents like these to show teachers and school administrators that this really does happen. This is a sad story because he didn't get the help he needed as a student. I think students find this story interesting because they get insight on what caused him to end up where he did. It could be an interesting read and discussion for a Psychology class.

I found the book interesting but I think I would have enjoyed the book more if it had been focused on the crime, catching Jeffrey Dahmer, the evidence and the trial.


I would recommend the following books if you are interested in true stories about famous crimes.

NATIONAL BESTSELLER
2013 ALA/YALSA Alex Award
2014 Revelation Award at Angoulême
2015 ALA/YALSA Alex Award (Excellence in Narrative Nonfiction)

Publisher: Harry N. Abrams
Date: March 1, 2012
Grade Level: 7-12

Teacher Guide: https://www.abramsbooks.com/pdfs/academic/MyFriendDahmer_TeachingGuide.pdf