After World War II, the Cold War divided the world between the communist Soviet Union and China, and the capitalist United States. Conflicts like the Korean War, Cuban Missile Crisis, and Vietnam War, along with a nuclear arms race, shaped global politics for decades.
Flight for Freedom
Inspiring true story of a family escaping East Germany in a homemade hot air balloon
The Genius Under the Table: Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain
Funny, poignant story of the author’s childhood in Soviet Russia
Escape From East Berlin
Fast-paced story of two kids, separated in time, each attempting to escape East Berlin
The Story That Cannot Be Told
Powerful middle-grade novel about a girl making sense of her world, set during Romania’s communist regime
The Berlin Wall: An Interactive Modern History Adventure
Choose-your-own-adventure stories based around the Berlin Wall
I’ll Tell You No Lies
Novel about an American girl whose life is complicated by an escaped Soviet pilot
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
McCarthyism and the Red Scare
Exploration of McCarthyism for middle and upper-grade readers, with primary sources