The+Wall+book+authentication

written and illustrated by Peter Sis Copyright 2007 New York: Frances Foster Books ISBN-13: 978-0-374-34701-7 ISBN-10: 0-374-34701-8 56 pages juvenile literature //themes// – childhood and youth, biography, Czech Americans, Czechoslovakia social conditions and history 1945-1992 // Synopsis // Using illustrations, photographs and journal entries Peter Sis tells his story of growing up in Czechoslovakia during the Cold War. He begins his narrative from his very earliest memories demonstrating the innocent and ignorance of youth moving on through his life as he discovers that “…there were things he wasn’t told”. The reader joins Sis in his journey through childhood, adolescence and young adulthood as he begins to question what he has learned, as he struggles to understand his life behind the Iron Curtain and as he finds his way in the world despite the restraints and restrictions imposed on him. // Authentication // Peter Sis begins his book with an introduction including a brief history beginning with the establishment of the Soviet Union and the rise of the Communist Party in 1917. He continues on to explain how Czechoslovakia became part of the Eastern Bloc and was behind the Iron Curtain until the Berlin Wall fell in 1989. He concludes his introduction saying “I was born at the beginning of it all, on the Red side – the Communist side – of the Iron Curtain”. This picture book/graphic novel is written in third person using one sentence on each page to explain the author’s life story. Sis supplements each page with definitions, facts, detailed black and white drawings (with deliberate, limited colour additions), journal entries and photographs from his childhood and posters. On first read, any person with a basic knowledge of history can verify the accuracy of the information (e.g. the erection and demolition of the Berlin Wall, the October 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis, the assassination of JFK, etc.). The verso cites the source of the four propaganda posters that Sis uses as part of the border on one of his journal entry pages. The historical accuracy and use of real sources lends credibility to his story. Recognizing that one person’s recollection of history is not enough to determine the accuracy of the facts presented in //The Wall,// I referred to various credible courses (coldwar.org, globalsecurity.org, timesearch.org) which were all verified as sites with strong credentials (government sites, University educated editors, etc.). Each fact Sis presents in his book was verified (e.g. the self-immolation of Jan Palach, the invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1968, etc). His personal experiences and accounts supplemented by accurate recollections and historical facts lend credibility to his story.
 * Book Authentication **
 * // The Wall - Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain //**

The copy of //The Wall// that was read for this authentication had two award stickers, The Caldecott Honor Book and The Robert F. Sibert Medal (most distinguished informational book published in English) both awarded by the Association for Library Service to Children. In addition Peter Sis has received the following awards: · Caldecott Honor Book //Tibet// //Through the Red Box 1998 // · Caldecott Honor Book //Galileo Galilei//  1997 · Newbery Medal //The Whipping Boy//  1987 · six time winner of The New York Times Book Review Best Illustrated Book of the Year for //Rainbow Rhino, Beach Ball, Follow the Dream, Konodo!//, //The Three Golden Keys// and //The Tree of Life: Charles Darwin// · two time winner of the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award Honor Book for //Komodo!// and // A Small Tall Tale from the Far Far North// · Society of Illustrators Gold Medal //Komodo!// · Society of Illustrators Silver Medal //The Three Golden Keys// · three time winner of The New York Times Book Review Notable Children’s Book of the Year for //Madlenka, Madlenka’s Dog// and //The Tree of Life: Charles Darwin// Mr. Sis also received the MacArthur Fellow (MacArthur Genius Award) in 2003. The MacArthur Genius Award is a $500,000 “…unrestricted fellowship(s) (sic) to talented individuals who have shown extraordinary originality and dedication in their creative pursuits and a marked capacity for self-direction”. In addition to these prestigious awards Peter Sis’ //The Wall// has received favourable reviews from the School Library Journal, Booklist, Publisher’s Weekly, The New York Times and Mr. Sis is acknowledged in the George Bush Presidential Library and Museum. //The Wall// is an excellent example of Peter Sis’ talent as an author and illustrator. He uses his exceptional artistic skills to tell his personal story of life behind the Iron Curtain. Mr. Sis originally wrote the book for his children, as he states he “…tried to draw my life – before America – for them. Any resemblance to the story in this book is intentional”. The wonderful visuals including deliberate limited use of colour to demonstrate the repressive regime provide young readers with a sense of what growing up in a Communist country is like. Older children and adults can appreciate the vast amount of information presented in the detailed drawings and read between the lines in the journal entries of the young Sis. //The Wall// would be a good source to learn about history, political ideologies, point of view, culture, personal struggles and artistic style and expression. This authentic, multicultural book would be an excellent addition to any school or classroom library. The former president of the Czech Republic, Vaclav Havel says it best: “Peter Sís’ book is most of all about the will to live one’s life in freedom and should be required reading for all those who take their freedom for granted”. Bibliography Bird, E. (2007). //School Library Journal//. Retrieved March 2, 2009 from [] Cold War Museum (2008). //The Czechoslovakia Coup.// Retrieved February 27, 2009, from []

Gascoigne, B. & Henghes, I. (2007). TimeSearch History. //Coldwar 1945-89.//Retrieved February 26, 2009, from [] George Bush Presidental Library and Museum (2005). //Discovering the World With Peter Sis.// Retrieved February 20, 2009, from [] Global Security (2008). //Cold War Era Operations.// Retrieved February 26, 2009, from [] MacArthur (2009). //MacArthur Fellows Program.// Retreived March 1, 2009 from [] Marcus, L. (2007). The Cold War Kid. //New York Times.// Retrieved March 2, 2009 from [] Sis, P. (2007). //The Wall Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain//. New York: Frances Foster Books.

Sis, P. //Peter Sis//. Retrieved February 22, 2009, from [|http://www.petersis.com].