1945 – 1989
After World War II, the world was divided by the Cold War, a period of tense rivalry between the communist Soviet Union and the capitalist United States. Communism, which emphasized state control over the economy and society, spread to Eastern Europe, China, and other parts of the world. The Cold War saw conflicts like the Korean War, the Cuban Missile Crisis, and the Vietnam War as the superpowers vied for global influence. Although direct war between the U.S. and the Soviet Union never occurred, the Cold War shaped global politics and led to an arms race that defined much of the 20th century.
Picture books
The Wall: Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain
Story of the author’s childhood in Communist Prague
Buy
Mercedes and the Chocolate Pilot
True story of the Berlin Airlift
Buy
Martí’s Song for Freedom
Story of a Cuban freedom fighter and poet who inspired revolutionaries
Buy
Flight for Freedom: The Wetzel Family’s Daring Escape from East Germany
Inspiring true story of a family escaping East Germany in a homemade hot air balloon
Buy
Chapter books
A Night Divided
Compelling story of a girl whose family is split up by the Berlin Wall
Buy
The Genius Under the Table: Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain
Funny, poignant story of the author’s childhood in Soviet Russia
Buy
My Brigadista Year
Charming story of a Cuban girl who volunteers to help spread literacy
Buy
Red Scare: A Graphic Novel
Exciting sci-fi graphic novel set in Cold War America
Buy
Escape From East Berlin
Fast-paced story of two kids, separated in time, each attempting to escape East Berlin
Buy
The Blackbird Girls
Story of two girls making a new life after the explosion in Chernobyl
Buy
The Story That Cannot Be Told
Powerful middle-grade novel about a girl making sense of her world, set during Romania’s communist regime
Buy
The Berlin Wall: An Interactive Modern History Adventure
Choose-your-own-adventure stories based around the Berlin Wall
Buy
The Red Umbrella
Touching novel about a girl who moves from Cuba to America after the revolution
Buy
Candy Bombers
Novel about two teenage cousins trying to decide who to trust in post-WWII Berlin
Buy
I’ll Tell You No Lies
Novel about an American girl whose life is complicated by an escaped Soviet pilot
Buy
Non-fiction books
A Time of Fear: America in the Era of Red Scares and Cold War
Excellent exploration of Cold War tensions in America, for middle- and upper-grade readers
Buy
What Was the Berlin Wall?
History of the Berlin Wall and what it meant for life in Germany
Buy
The Cuban Missile Crisis
Brief introduction to the Cuban Missile Crisis
Buy
McCarthyism and the Red Scare
Exploration of McCarthyism for middle and upper-grade readers, with primary sources
Buy
