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25th out of 87 books
—
98 voters
The Wall: Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain
by
Peter Sís
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...more
“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...more
Hardcover, 56 pages
Published
August 21st 2007
by Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)
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Totalitarian regimes make for good children’s books. They just do. What could be more inherently exciting plot-wise than a world in which you never know who to trust? Where children report parents to the police and freedom and creativity are stifled under the boots of oppressors? That makes for good copy. This year alone we’ve the Cultural Revolution book, “The Revolution Is Not a Dinner Party” by Ying Chang Compestine and the much discussed Peter Sis title, “The Wall: Growing Up Behind the Iron...more
Caldecott honor book and winner of the Robert Sibert Medal this incredibly detailed book functions on a number of levels. It is simultaneously; a written history of Czechoslovakia twice invaded by the Soviets, an autobiography of the author’s life behind the Iron Curtain and a graphic novel detailing historical and personal events.
This book could be used by grades 4th through High School. The detailed pictures represent historical and biographical events clearly from a personal perspective. The...more
This book could be used by grades 4th through High School. The detailed pictures represent historical and biographical events clearly from a personal perspective. The...more
As I read The Wall: Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain by Peter Sis, I was thinking back to my visit to Prague a few years ago and tried to imagine what it must have been like to grow up there when Peter Sis did. The Prague I saw was nothing like the government controlled, society censored, and creativity crusher that he describes in this intricate story. When I was in Prague, it was as if the citizens were making up for all the lost time under Communist rule. Women in provocative clothes propos...more
Having grown up in the west during the Cold War, I have vivid memories of the tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union. The threat of nuclear war was a commonplace part of our everyday lives. In The Wall: Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain, Peter Sis depicts his own childhood in Russian occupied Czechoslovakia.
At home, Peter can draw anything he wants. At school, however, he can only draw what he is told. He explains how easy it was for children to be brainwashed and not questi...more
At home, Peter can draw anything he wants. At school, however, he can only draw what he is told. He explains how easy it was for children to be brainwashed and not questi...more
Peter Sis' THe Wall captivated me and left me wanting to learn more about life for all kinds of people living behind the iron curtain during the cold war. I connected with the text as a parent of young children, reflecting on the freedoms I at times take for granted. Sis sketches pictures showing the bars placed on his thinking. Growing up as a schoolboy he was forced to become part of the soviet governed ways. He was told how to draw, what to draw, what to think. In his communist world the only...more
This book was of particular interest to me because of my Czech ancestors. They came to the US before communism spread across Europe, but growing up during the Cold War left me interested in the perspective from the other side of "The Wall." Author/illustrator Peter Sis details his life growing up under the tyranny of communism and behind the "iron curtain" that separated communist Europe from the rest of the continent. For older readers, middle school and up, this book combines autobiography and...more
I love Peter Sis's busy little illustrations, and always have. This was an interesting look at growing up in Prague under Communism, told mostly with Sis's art and few words. I had no idea how many times the government essentially vacillated on how strict to be. There were times when you could get a travel pass to the west, listen to rock music, and express yourself rreely. Then someone new would come to office, or the people in charge would simply change their minds, and you'd be locked away fo...more
Dec 24, 2010
Daisy
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Petr/Sara/Bara
Recommended to Daisy by:
on Erma's shelf
Shelves:
czech-slovak,
graphic-not-only-novels
I hadn't known about that Beach Boys concert.
Intricate illustrations. This book is for children and adults with a simple-to-follow poem of a story-line at the bottom of each page and historical, italicized details next to each illustration.
Intricate illustrations. This book is for children and adults with a simple-to-follow poem of a story-line at the bottom of each page and historical, italicized details next to each illustration.
very cool illustrations plus i learned some things about history that i did not know before
Holy crapoly, this may be the most intense picture book I've ever read. Sparse language combined with simple black, white and red line drawings tell the story of Sis' youth, growing up in Prague and living through the rise and fall of the Berlin Wall. Sis focuses on the role art and (especially) rock music played in his youth, which is... just, really powerful, if I may be so trite as to say so. I love the Beach Boys, but I never considered them a liberating force until reading this. It's great...more
As I read The Wall: Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain by Peter Sis, I was thinking back to my visit to Prague a few years ago and tried to imagine what it must have been like to grow up there when Peter Sis did. The Prague I saw was nothing like the government controlled, society censored, and creativity crusher that he describes in this intricate story. When I was in Prague, it was as if the citizens were making up for all the lost time under Communist rule. Women in provocative clothes propos...more
Sís, Peter. The Wall: Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2007. Print. 56 p.
Sibert Medal 2008
Peter Sís creates an autobiography in which he both tells the story of his life and gives readers a history lesson on the Cold War as he grew up in the Soviet Union. Sís creates a parallel between his own childhood and the advancement of the War and the conditions of life in the socialist country. The bulk of the narrative is illustrated using black and white with...more
Sibert Medal 2008
Peter Sís creates an autobiography in which he both tells the story of his life and gives readers a history lesson on the Cold War as he grew up in the Soviet Union. Sís creates a parallel between his own childhood and the advancement of the War and the conditions of life in the socialist country. The bulk of the narrative is illustrated using black and white with...more
Sis does a great job of taking the reader through what it was like to live through the Soviet occupation of Czechoslovakia during the Cold War. There are several different elements within this story that allow the reader to really understand the perspective of those growing up in Czechoslovakia during this time. The main frames on each page show the story of a young child that loves to draw and the changes he faces throughout the Cold War. Additionally, Sis provides historical dates and importan...more
Peter Sis's The Wall is a moving story of his experience growing up in Czechoslovakia during the Cold War. It is a multi-layered story, where with each glance you notice something new that adds new depth to your reading. The picture book is both informative and narrative. Each page includes simplistic text that could be followed by young readers--mapping the author's life as a child and artist influenced by communist "brainwashing."
Also included are symbolic illustrations that act as a historic...more
Also included are symbolic illustrations that act as a historic...more
The Wall is about the story of a boy that is growing up on the communist side of the Berlin wall. It is written like a journal with a lot of illustrations because the author grew up loving to draw and uses the drawings as a way of conveying his emotions towards that time. The illustrations were an extra step that made the book that much more interesting and made me want to turn the page.
I gave this book 5 stars because it was such an interesting take on a part of history no one really teaches a...more
I gave this book 5 stars because it was such an interesting take on a part of history no one really teaches a...more
Summary:
The Wall is a historical picture that tells the story of a boy growing up on the “red” side of the Berlin Wall. The Wall tells of the communist ways and how the people of East Germany were under communist rule while the people of West Germany were under the rule of a democratic society. The pictures go along with the story well, but also have side notes on them to tell history.
Response:
I chose to give this book three stars for a few particular reasons. This book, would have received an...more
The Wall is a historical picture that tells the story of a boy growing up on the “red” side of the Berlin Wall. The Wall tells of the communist ways and how the people of East Germany were under communist rule while the people of West Germany were under the rule of a democratic society. The pictures go along with the story well, but also have side notes on them to tell history.
Response:
I chose to give this book three stars for a few particular reasons. This book, would have received an...more
Peter Sis tells the story of how it is for a young boy to grow up under Communist rule in the Soviet Union. The government controlled everything you did. As he grows older, he begins to long for his freedom and doing things his government did not allow, like listening to certain music or drawing.
I have very mixed feelings about this book so it was hard for me to rate it. I liked the idea, I liked the illustrations and how everything was in black, white, or red. It was interesting to see how lif...more
I have very mixed feelings about this book so it was hard for me to rate it. I liked the idea, I liked the illustrations and how everything was in black, white, or red. It was interesting to see how lif...more
Summary
The Wall is the story about Soviet Union during the Communist Party uprising. Peter Sis, the author of the book, also the main character tells how life was growing up during this time. Peter loved to draw since he was born and he continued to pursue his love of drawing for his whole entire life, even when he was not supposed to! This book also goes in depth of the governments, rules, and the banning of certain things, such as drawing.
The drawings in the book were somewhat confusing. It wa...more
The Wall is the story about Soviet Union during the Communist Party uprising. Peter Sis, the author of the book, also the main character tells how life was growing up during this time. Peter loved to draw since he was born and he continued to pursue his love of drawing for his whole entire life, even when he was not supposed to! This book also goes in depth of the governments, rules, and the banning of certain things, such as drawing.
The drawings in the book were somewhat confusing. It wa...more
Summary
Peter Sis shows what life was like for a child who grew up under Soviet rule in the Cold War Era. The communist government controlled everything from your drawings to your books. They even brainwashed children to turn in their parents if they were to talk bad about their own government. When Sis grows older, freedom comes into question. Illegally, he begins to listen to certain music like the Beatles, and gets interested in things the government does not allow. The illustrations followed...more
Peter Sis shows what life was like for a child who grew up under Soviet rule in the Cold War Era. The communist government controlled everything from your drawings to your books. They even brainwashed children to turn in their parents if they were to talk bad about their own government. When Sis grows older, freedom comes into question. Illegally, he begins to listen to certain music like the Beatles, and gets interested in things the government does not allow. The illustrations followed...more
The Wall
Tags: 3-5, Picture book, history
Summary
The Wall: Growing up behind the Iron Gate is about a boy who lived during the 1960’s and lived his life under a communist country. The book goes through events in the late 1900’s, as the boy sees them throughout his lifetime. The illustrations in this book are very interesting.
Response
I, personally, did not care for this book. I did not like the flow of the writing; it was everywhere. I understand why the illustrations were not all colored in, but...more
Tags: 3-5, Picture book, history
Summary
The Wall: Growing up behind the Iron Gate is about a boy who lived during the 1960’s and lived his life under a communist country. The book goes through events in the late 1900’s, as the boy sees them throughout his lifetime. The illustrations in this book are very interesting.
Response
I, personally, did not care for this book. I did not like the flow of the writing; it was everywhere. I understand why the illustrations were not all colored in, but...more
Summary
The wall is a true story about how a young boy is growing up just as the Soviet Union begins the Communist party. Sis loved to draw since as long as he could remember, but when his drawings start to become banned and no one can draw what they want anymore it starts to upset him.
The pictures in this book are very detailed. Some of the pages do seem a little too busy and all over the place to look at on your first glance. You actually have to look at the pages a lot longer than normal books...more
The wall is a true story about how a young boy is growing up just as the Soviet Union begins the Communist party. Sis loved to draw since as long as he could remember, but when his drawings start to become banned and no one can draw what they want anymore it starts to upset him.
The pictures in this book are very detailed. Some of the pages do seem a little too busy and all over the place to look at on your first glance. You actually have to look at the pages a lot longer than normal books...more
Citation: The Wall: Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain, by Peter Sis. (Frances, Strauss, Giroux, 2007). 56 p. Informational Picture Book.
Summary: Peter Sis grew up in Prague, Czechoslovakia in the 1950’s and 1960’s under the Soviet Communist regime. The Communist enforcers required and allowed participation in only their endorsed activities, creating a brainwashing environment for Sis and other young people. It is only through bits and pieces of exposure to Western cultural icons like the Beatle...more
Summary: Peter Sis grew up in Prague, Czechoslovakia in the 1950’s and 1960’s under the Soviet Communist regime. The Communist enforcers required and allowed participation in only their endorsed activities, creating a brainwashing environment for Sis and other young people. It is only through bits and pieces of exposure to Western cultural icons like the Beatle...more
“The Wall” tells a story about a child who grows up during the Cold War, a true story about a child. The child grows up with a special skill of art and the story follows his life as he discovers who he is in the world and how art helps him discover that. Sis includes all kinds of things that are able to describe his uniqueness, for example, photography and journals. He also includes his interests like music and art. When things are hard sometimes it is important to know who you are.
This is a tri...more
This is a tri...more
Audience: Suggested for 3rd grade and up; historical non-fiction; combination graphic novel and picture book with journaling
Appeal: I made an instant connection with this book as I have visited the Czech Republic, and this book shed light on the behaviors that my family and I had noticed while we stayed there. The book is a first-person account in which the author takes us through his early childhood into adulthood behind the Iron Curtain. The book is brutally honest about what it was like to be...more
Appeal: I made an instant connection with this book as I have visited the Czech Republic, and this book shed light on the behaviors that my family and I had noticed while we stayed there. The book is a first-person account in which the author takes us through his early childhood into adulthood behind the Iron Curtain. The book is brutally honest about what it was like to be...more
The Wall is an awarding winning book. Not only of the Caldecott Honor Book but also the Robert F. Sibert Medal. This chldren's book gives a new and personal light to the life of someone who grew up behind the Iron Curtain of Czechoslovakia. The author Peter Sis was born in Prague and grew up with people telling him what he was aloud to do, what he could think, basically how to run his life. The Russians invaded and the Cold War kept everything from the west away from the eyes, ears and minds of...more
The Wall: Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain, a Caldecott and 2008 Sibert award winner is a memoir of a boy born into the “beginning of it all” as he describes it, referring to end of War World II and during the Cold War. I have to admit, reading historical non-fiction is not one of my favorites. However, Peter Sis’s unique way to tell his story and take us deeper into his experience made me have a better understanding of what happened during this important historical milestone. I loved how the...more
I have nothing but praise for this book. Peter Sis does a wonderful job of telling a story with the illustrations alone. He creates contrast between being confined behind the Iron Curtain and being a part of the free world. He does this by representing communism in his pictures with black, white, and red pictures and representing the free, western, world through many colors and his own drawings. The color represents everything that is outside of the Iron Curtain for him, such as music, art, free...more
This is an illustrated story about what it was like for the author growing up behind "The Iron Curtain" in Czeckosovakia. It was called the Iron Curtain if you lived anywhere within the influence of soviet Russia because they separated their people from the rest of the world (as if they were behind an imprenetrable curtain!). The reson they did this was because their system repressed freedom, and they had to force people not to leave or to tell the outside world how bad it was there. They claime...more
1. Contemporary Realism
2. " The Wall: Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain" by Peter Sis is a memoir on author's life under the Communist rule of Czechoslovakia, the oppression he faces and his dreams of leaving for America.
3. critique
a. The book takes the reader back in a time when America was the dreamland for many . It was a time when America's biggest fear was the Communist world during the Cold War . The author takes you into a look on what it was like to live under Communist rule and what...more
I get to teach an elective on graphic novels this year, so I've just started to read some novels/books/comics that are appropriate for middle school kids. I liked the format of this book, but to be honest, I was a little disturbed by its representation of America and the West. I can see how growing up behind the Iron Curtain it would be appropriate to label the East in black and white with words like "stupidity/suspicion/injustice/corruption/terror/fear/envy/lies" and the West all in color with...more
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Nov 09, 2008 07:10pm