A Night Divided

A Night Divided

By Jennifer A. Nielsen

22 ratings 20 reviews 31 followers
Interest LevelReading LevelReading A-ZATOSWord Count
Grades 4 - 8Grade 6n/a5.471508
From NYT bestselling author Jennifer A. Nielsen comes a stunning thriller about a girl who must escape to freedom after the Berlin Wall divides her family between east and west.

With the rise of the Berlin Wall, twelve-year-old Gerta finds her family suddenly divided. She, her mother, and her brother Fritz live on the eastern side, controlled by the Soviets. Her father and middle brother, who had gone west in search of work, cannot return home. Gerta knows it is dangerous to watch the wall, to think forbidden thoughts of freedom, yet she can't help herself. She sees the East German soldiers with their guns trained on their own citizens; she, her family, her neighbors and friends are prisoners in their own city.

But one day, while on her way to school, Gerta spots her father on a viewing platform on the western side, pantomiming a peculiar dance. Then, when she receives a mysterious drawing, Gerta puts two and two together and concludes that her father wants Gerta and Fritz to tunnel beneath the wall, out of East Berlin. However, if they are caught, the consequences will be deadly. No one can be trusted. Will Gerta and her family find their way to freedom?
Publisher: Scholastic Inc.
ISBN-13: 9780545682442
ISBN-10: 0545682444
Published on 3/27/2018
Binding: Paperback
Number of pages: 336

Book Reviews (21)

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If your into Nazi, wwll, and the Berlin wall this book is perfect for you! I say it at the book fair one day and gave it a shot. I loved it. I now read all of the authors books and an attached. I say you should try this book it is just a wonderful story with a great background.

I love this book so so much its so heartwarming and intense

Gerta's family is now broken apart. One day, her dad, and her middle brother decides to go to the west to find a place to live, what jobs, and to find out what schools they have. And after that night, a fence goes up so there is a small chance that anyone can escape or come into the east. Will Gerta's family stay apart, or will they be reunited again? Read to find out...

I love this book and it took me a while to read ( i read the first hungergames in a day so.... ) while it's super sad it's not something you can hid from, it's our history and tho the book is fiction the reallity is historical. i recommaned this for 5 grade and up.

Cami345 Cami345

This is such a good book. It is about a huge piece of history and I really recommend it. I always look at dogo books of the reviews on books. The author gets into the action fast which makes it page-turners. I really love this book and it taught me to be greatful.

This book is about twelve year old Gerta who when she was eight, her father and older brother went to West Germany to find a new home and job. They meant to return home the day the Berlin Wall went up. So one day four years later, Gerta sees her brother on the other side of the wall. And then another day, she sees her father doing a dance. Gerta thinks that he wants her to dig a hole somewhere....but where? When she receives a mysterious note one day, it tells her where, and she starts digging. A very interesting book, with many twists and turns, this book is definitely recommended.

With the rise of the Berlin Wall, 12 year-old Gerta's family is separated with her, her mother and her brother Fritz in the communitist East, and her father and middle brother in the democratic West. Gerta is not sure if she will ever see her full family again, or feel free in a country where she is not allowed to think or act in a way that the government wouldn't approve. Gerta is driven, creative and takes immense risks as she and Fritz wonder if they can reunite their family and fight to ensure freedom for their lives. Her story is suspenseful, gripping, and a must read for lovers of historical fiction!

With the rise of the Berlin Wall, 12 year-old Gerta's family is separated with her, her mother and her brother Fritz in the communitist East, and her father and middle brother in the democratic West. Gerta is not sure if she will ever see her full family again, or feel free in a country where she is not allowed to think or act in a way that the government wouldn't approve. Gerta is driven, creative and takes immense risks as she and Fritz wonder if they can reunite their family and fight to ensure freedom for their lives. Her story is suspenseful, gripping, and a must read for lovers of historical fiction!

Very good read! A good dive into history, all ages I hope would like this book! I read it in two days because I was so excited! hah!

When Greta was only 8 years old, her father went to the other side of the wall to find a place for them to live. But in the middle of the night a wall was built, separating the family from each other. Four years later, Greta sees her father on the viewing platform on the other side of the wall doing a silly dance in a digging motion which Greta thinks he means that she has to escape by digging a tunnel. A few days later, he sends her a letter with a drawing of a building. Is this just a coincidence? Racing against time, Greta and her brother, Fritz, dig in the building. As the day that Fritz must go serve in the army comes closer and closer, and the fear of being found out becomes a reality, Greta must finish what she has begun.

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