I placed this book on hold at my local library along with some other children's picture books. I got a call yesterday that a few of my book selections were available, so I headed over, found a seat, and got to reading. This book was compactly educational in regard to the Cold War and Communist Soviet Union. I grew up hearing about the Berlin wall and "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!" I knew about the Cuban missile crisis. I knew we were at odds with Soviet Russia, but I didn't understand the conflict any further than we had differing governing ideologies. I also liked that the introduction concisely explained the link between the events of WWII's aftermath to the onset of Russian-formed Soviet Union, because many times we study events of our history in isolated segments, and we forget to examine the cause-effect sequences in between large events. This book told the story of author Peter Sis's first-hand account of life in then Czechoslovakia and how the Prague Spring of 1968 helped him to awaken from his "brainwashed" youth. Art and music played a huge role in his awakening. I've read many fictional dystopian novels and never fully realized that these societies truly existed/exist today. I highly recommend putting a copy of this on every school/classroom library shelf. It's a great jumping off point for further research and examination.
Add to Goodreads To-Read List.
No comments:
Post a Comment