The Wall: Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain - Caldecott Honor Award Winning Historical Graphic Novel for Kids & Adults | Cold War Era Memoir, Classroom Learning, History Enthusiasts Gift
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SKU:10511789
Product Description
A NEW YORK TIMES BEST SELLER"I was born at the beginning of it all, on the Red side―the Communist side―of the Iron Curtain." Through annotated illustrations, journals, maps, and dreamscapes, Peter Sís shows what life was like for a child who loved to draw, proudly wore the red scarf of a Young Pioneer, stood guard at the giant statue of Stalin, and believed whatever he was told to believe. But adolescence brought questions. Cracks began to appear in the Iron Curtain, and news from the West slowly filtered into the country. Sís learned about beat poetry, rock 'n' roll, blue jeans, and Coca-Cola. He let his hair grow long, secretly read banned books, and joined a rock band. Then came the Prague Spring of 1968, and for a teenager who wanted to see the world and meet the Beatles, this was a magical time. It was short-lived, however, brought to a sudden and brutal end by the Soviet-led invasion. But this brief flowering had provided a glimpse of new possibilities―creativity could be discouraged but not easily killed. By joining memory and history, Sís takes us on his extraordinary journey: from infant with paintbrush in hand to young man borne aloft by the wings of his art. This title has Common Core connections.The Wall is a 2007 New York Times Book Review Best Illustrated Book of the Year, a 2008 Caldecott Honor Book, a 2008 Bank Street - Best Children's Book of the Year, the winner of the 2008 Boston Globe - Horn Book Award for Nonfiction, and a nominee for the 2008 Eisner Award for Best Publication for Kids.
Customer Reviews
The book is simple yet very powerful. I am a daughter of a political prisoner (10 years) from communist Cuba. I purchased this book for my kids to have a better understanding of what a bad and oppressive government is like and where part of their history comes from. People telling on one another, phone conversations and letters being surveillance was part of what both my parents had to endure. Just like in the story my parents as teenagers were sent away from home and were forced for several months to go to the fields and do labor work for free . My mother was persecuted for practicing her faith because like in the book religion was not tolerated. My brother was harassed (by the school staff who encouraged the children to do the same) because of his faith and because of his father's incarceration. The story also writes how the people had to make lines to get food. This is also another sad reality. My mom had to stand in line for hours out in the sun to get her family's portion of rationed food. Sometimes when her turn came there was no food left to receive. I will never forget as a young child how my mother sobbed in our first visit to an American supermarket. She couldn't believe so much food was available while people in her country go hungry. She spent the first few years hoarding food and things like soap and shampoos for fear that it could be hard to find later. When I read this book for the first time I couldn't help and shed a few tears because everything that I heard growing up (I was 2 years when my family arrived to America with a political asylum visa) was written there in those pages along with large drawn illustrations. America is indeed an awesome country and do not allow anyone to convince you otherwise!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! LOVED the BOOK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
