Eyes on the Ice

Written by Anna Rosner

Two brothers must sabotage a hockey game to save their father from a brutal regime.

4.3 Goodreads · 150 ratings

200 pages· 700L

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Bookroo's summary

In 1963 Czechoslovakia, young Lukas and Denys face a harrowing choice. Their father, a truth-seeking journalist, is imprisoned by the oppressive regime. The brothers' love for hockey becomes a dangerous game when the secret police offer them a deal: throw a match against the Soviets for information about their father. As they skate on thin ice, Lukas must decide between loyalty to his family and the sport he loves. Will they risk everything for a chance to reunite their family, or will the cost of truth be too high?

From the publisher

In 1963, under the brutal Communist regime, two hockey-loving brothers must throw a game in a Soviet-Czech tournament to help their imprisoned father. 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. Key Text Features author’s note biographical information chapters dialogue glossary historical note Correlates to the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.5.3 Compare and contrast two or more characters, settings, or events in a story or drama, drawing on specific details in the text (e.g., how characters interact). CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.6.6 Explain how an author develops the point of view of the narrator or speaker in a text. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.6.7 Compare and contrast the experience of reading a story, drama, or poem to listening to or viewing an audio, video, or live version of the text, including contrasting what they “see” and “hear” when reading the text to what they perceive when they listen or watch.

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