In 1960s Czechoslovakia, Patrik participates in and rebels against the communist regime, knowing that anyone could become an enemy in the blink of an eye.
Fourteen-year-old Patrik rebels against the communist regime in small ways whenever he gets the chance: spray-painting slogans, listening to contraband Beatles records, even urinating on a statue of Lenin under cover of night. But anti-Party sentiment is risky, and when party interference cuts a little too close to home, Patrik and his family find themselves faced with a decision — and a grave secret — that will change everything. As the moments tick toward too late, Patrik takes his family’s fate in hand, risking everything for a chance at freedom. Examining the psychological toll of living under an authoritarian regime, Carolyn Marsden allows readers to experience both Patrik’s persistent worry and his hope for better things.
Chase R's Top Ten Reasons NOT to Move to the Country
Written by Michael J. Rosen
Price: $6.99
Pub Date: October 9, 2007
Format: Paperback
"This is a rich and provocative story." — School Library Journal
Fourteen-year-old Chase Riley has just moved with his parents from Columbus, Ohio, to a farmhouse in the country, but it may as well be on another planet. For starters, there’s a plague of cicadas, but that’s nothing compared to the awesome appearance of deer in the woods — or strapped to hunters’ cars. Chase seeks refuge at his computer, blasting off droll commentary, until a freak accident involving his own dog changes everything. And that’s when he begins devising The Plan.
A Bank Street College Best Children’s Book of the Year
A West Australian Young Readers Book Award Reading List Selection
