"Marzi, " a series of graphic novels, recounts author Marzena Sowa's childhood in the 1980s.

WSJ: Poles Apart: Today's Kids Line Up to Learn About Communist Past in Poland

Ms. Sowa, who was 10 when communism ended, now gets invited to speak to school groups about Marzi.

WSJ: Poles Apart: Today's Kids Line Up to Learn About Communist Past in Poland

Fans are Poles like Joanna Kosicka, a European Union official born in 1974 who reads "Marzi" to her 8-year-old son and recounts her own tales of waking at 4 a.m. to stand in line for one kilogram of sugar.

WSJ: Poles Apart: Today's Kids Line Up to Learn About Communist Past in Poland