czechoslovakia

"Ten-year-old Lukas and his brother Denys want nothing more than to play hockey, but it's 1963, and they live in Czechoslovakia, where the secret police (the 'Eye') are constantly on the lookout for anyone committing crimes against the state--whether that be reading a magazine about the NHL or saying anything negative about the Communist regime. Lukas's father works for a newspaper, and printing the truth is a dangerous activity. The family is poor, but hockey is the one bright light for the boys. They learn to skate on a bumpy outdoor rink in a city park. And when their talent is noticed, they are encouraged to try out for a local youth league, where they are thrilled to play in a real arena for the first time. Then the boys' father is arrested. No one knows where he has been taken or when he might be coming home. Lukas and Denys soon realize they are being watched, too, and when the secret police promise them information about their father if they help throw a game against a visiting Soviet team, Lukas must make some difficult decisions that may endanger his family and his friends, as he faces some tough questions about what loyalty really means"--Provided by publisher.

"When 17-year-old Pavol fatally sets himself on fire in Prague in 1969 to protest the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia, his three best friends must figure out how to survive an oppressive regime without him"--Provided by the publisher.

"Meet Renee and Herta, two sisters who faced the unimaginable--together. This is their true story. As Jews living in 1940s Czechoslovakia, Renee, Herta, and their parents were in immediate danger when the Holocaust came to their door. As the only hearing person in her family, Renee had to alert her parents and sister whenever the sound of Nazi boots approached their home so they could hide. But soon their parents were tragically taken away, and the two sisters went on the run, desperate to find a safe place to hide. Eventually they, too, would be captured and taken to the concentration camp Bergen-Belsen. Communicating in sign language and relying on each other for strength in the midst of illness, death, and starvation, Renee and Herta would have to fight to survive the darkest of times"--Provided by publisher.

In 1948, following World War II, eleven-year-old Anna, her mother, and older sister must flee Czechoslovakia after Russian Communists take over the government. Includes notes about the author's family history, on which the story is based.

Artist S?s Peter describes what it was like growing up in a Communist country and discusses how Western culture influenced his life.

An introduction to the history, geography, and culture of Czechoslovakia.