Winner of the 2008 Sibert

The Wall Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain

by Peter Sis is winner of the 2008 Sibert award

This is mostly a picture book with small notes from the author describing the illustrations. They retell the author's memoirs about life under communism in Prague and the thirst for liberation. It also contains an introductory and closing notes, a historical timeline, diary excerpts, childhood drawings, and family photos. All of these things were put together to help explain to his American family how life used to be growing up in during the postwar Communist-dominated Czechoslovakia. The government build a wall to separate the East and West blocs. People wanted to be liberated and experience the American pleasures that people in the West experienced. After long years of the Cold War and the totalitarian government control, the "Iron Wall" finally came down in 1989.

This was a very interesting book about freedom. We often take for granted what we have and never stop to think how other countries don't enjoy the same rights as we do. There has been many times I've talked to my students about our country's history and how things used to be and they can't believe it. I could use this book whenever we discuss the Bill of Rights, the Declaration of Independence, and freedom in general.