The Wall: Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain
Common Sense Note
Parents need to know that this serious book deserves time and close attention. There are many big political and philosophical ideas and mentions of events that may disturb some children, including a plane hijacking, imprisonments, and deaths.
Families can talk about and compare what was happening in America during that time. Are grandparents available to share their own memories of the cold war era? Families can also explore the Western cultural touchstones that meant so much to Sis -- the Beach Boys, the Beatles. What other art forms have been used in political revolution?
Common Sense Review
Reviewed By: Dawn Friedman
A unique autobiography, THE WALL gives an accessible child's-eye view of communism in Czechoslovakia. It's a heavy topic but one handled admirably by Peter Sis who intersperses excerpts from his journal with straightforward third-person narration and detailed illustrations.
Sis knew he was an artist at a very early age. You see the way his art was shaped by the events around him as he grew up, and yet also allowed him to wrestle free of those cultural constraints. His meticulous pen and ink illustrations invite close attention. The use of splashes of color -- particularly the blood red representing communism -- is arresting and effective.
The history of that time was dense and kids may need help understanding what was happening in the rest of the world at the time. They may also miss some of the touchstones that meant so much to Sis -- bands like the Rolling Stones and tie-dying shirts. They might wonder why long hair was such a big deal, too. But the book offers a terrific opportunity for further discussion and exploration.
From The Book
June 8, 1972
A group of young people with long hair -- I know them well -- hijack a plane to West Germany. They shoot the pilot with a gun hidden in a baby's diaper.
Plot Summary:
The author shares his childhood and young adulthood in communist Czechoslovakia during the Cold War era and his eventual escape to the West.
Related Books:
More Great Historical Reads:
Escape to West Berlin by Maurine F. Dahlberg
The Cold War (20th Century Perspectives) by David Taylor
Red Scarf Girl: A Memoir of the Cultural Revolution by Ji-li Jiang
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ViolenceMentions of a riot after a concert, men hijacking a plane, imprisonment, and death. |
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Social BehaviorThe artist participates in peaceful demonstrations. |
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