We Were a Handful: A Children’s Book Not Just for Kids.












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            * We Were a Handful: A Children’s Book Not Just for Kids.
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            Foreign students, teachers and visitors of Charles University often come to the university

            Celetná Street looking for English translations of Czech books which they can bring back h
            from Prague. You would not be wrong if your choice of such a token would be We Were a Hand
            most popular Czech books for children, written by Karel Poláček. The story takes the reade

            beautifully simple yet complex world of adventures, gang fights and children’s recklessnes
            20th century.
            Written as a diary, the book is narrated by the character Petr Bajza, the grocer’s son, an

            of the boy and his four friends who form a gang together in a small Czech town. We Were a 
            the reader to witness the gang’s amazing adventures and everyday experiences, from organis

            boys from their neighbourhood to trying to understand adults and the adult world of the 20
            Poláček’s child narrator and diary format gives the book authenticity as well as humour.
            The plot provides us with extremely entertaining tales, with the added charm and pleasure 

            stories through the eyes of a child’s perspective. It starts in the most ordinary way when
            our main character, talks about his everyday struggles, introducing the reader to his fami
            Whilst the book is not separated into chapters and does not follow a certain chronological

            may seem a little chaotic – it does however provide an authenticity to the way in which ch
            tell stories.
            Jewish author Karel Poláček (1892-1945) wrote We Were a Handful during World War II, just 

            deportation to Auschwitz in 1944. During the most difficult and terrifying time of his lif
            reminisced once more of his happiest memories: his childhood. Despite the horrific circums
            was able to maintain the lightness and purity of a child’s experience, and make the reader

            book was really written by a carefree child growing up in a peaceful and safe world. The s
            book was followed by a very popular TV adaptation in 1990s.
            As we discover the world seen through Petr’s eyes we start to really understand the beauty

            joy and finding happiness even in the most tragic of times. Whilst written with children i
            book’s stories teach lessons about friendship that both adults and children can benefit fr
            language that the main characters use is brilliant, with the wit and charm providing the m

            humour.
            We Were a Handful was finally, after many years, translated into English and is now availa
            in the Charles University bookshop in Celetná Street in Prague, having been produced by th

            Press, Charles University’s very own publishing house.                                    
            Weronika Pukrop is a student of Journalism and Media at De Montfort University, Leicester.
            people with different nationalitites and she truly enjoys getting to know other cultures, 
            experiences. Her main interests are travelling, fashion, food and music.                  
                                                                                                      
                                                                                                      
            Nicola Wheeler is a Erasmus student from the University of Kent in the United Kingdom, stu
            keen interest in current affairs. Nicola believes that writing for the international iForu