Kate Simses serves up a vivid, utterly believable portrayal of a family separated by the newly erected Berlin Wall. Young Gerta, her mother, and her older brother, Fritz, are trapped by the constant scrutiny of the East German border police, while her father and younger brother are unable to return from the West. Listeners will feel the complete despair in Gerta’s voice as life in East Berlin becomes bleak and uncertain. Simses allows hope to flicker in the two children as they dig a tunnel toward freedom, and their father and brother. Simses paces the ebb and flow of tension so well that listeners will lose all track of time. The palpable fear of capture and the excited hope of reunion raise this performance above the norm. M.F.T. © AudioFile 2015, Portland, Maine
A Night Divided: A Geronimo Stilton Adventure
Narrated by Kate Simses
Jennifer A. NielsenUnabridged — 7 hours, 12 minutes
A Night Divided: A Geronimo Stilton Adventure
Narrated by Kate Simses
Jennifer A. NielsenUnabridged — 7 hours, 12 minutes
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Overview
Editorial Reviews
06/01/2015
Eight-year-old Gerta awakens one morning to a fence cleaving her family in two—her father and one of her brothers were on a trip to West Berlin while the rest of the family became trapped in the East. Four years later, the Berlin Wall has become a harsh reality, but a secret message from her father, hidden in a silly dance, gives Gerta hope and a plan for escape: tunneling to freedom. Like Anne Frank before her, Gerta is small but mighty, a hardheaded heroine who dreams up big ideas and refuses to give up in the face of adversity and danger. Nielsen (Mark of the Thief) evokes the constant unease of life in a divided Berlin through Gerta’s sober narration, as she struggles with death, lying to survive, and underground obstacles like burst pipes, but the family never loses sight of the power of humility and forgiveness. As the architect of her family’s freedom, Gerta memorably demonstrates that survival is possible even in the bleakest of circumstances. Ages 8–12. Agent: Ammi-Joan Paquette, Erin Murphy Literary Agency. (Aug.)
Praise for A Night Divided:ILA-CBC Children's Choices List selection"[A]bsorbing and deeply suspenseful, with plenty of ticking-clock tension... an eye-opening glimpse of history." — Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books"A marvelously crafted historical novel about courage, perseverance and the will to survive, A Night Divided excels in every regard." — The Reading Eagle"Distinct supporting characters... demonstrate the harrowing choices people made to survive, encouraging readers to consider what they would have done if fate and history had cast them into the story.... The novel's strong setting and tense climax will keep readers engrossed and holding their breath until the last page." — School Library Journal"History buffs will drool over the magnificently told tale, but even reluctant readers will become immersed in the tension-filled exploits." — VOYAPraise for Mark of the Thief:*"The fast-paced, ingenious plot, charismatic hero and highly diverse cast of characters... make this series opener a captivating joy ride." — Kirkus Reviews, starred review"Vivid... [with] page-turning twists." — Publishers WeeklyPraise for Rise of the Wolf:"Fast-moving fun with broad audience appeal, especially recommended for reluctant readers, Rick Riordan fans, and pedal-to-the-metal adventure aficionados." — Kirkus Reviews"The novel's Roman mythology connections...will have great appeal for fans of Rick Riordan. Heavily plot-driven with a movie-script feel." — BooklistPraise for the Ascendance TrilogyA New York Times Notable Children's BookA Publishers Weekly Best Book of the YearA Chicago Public Library "Best of the Best" Children's BookA Cybils Award Winner"A page-turner." — The New York Times Book Review"Sage proves to be a compelling character whose sharp mind and shrewd self-possession will make readers eager to follow him into a sequel." — Wall Street Journal"A swashbuckling origin story . . . chock-full of alluring details for adventure-loving boys." — Los Angeles Times*"An impressive, promising story." — Publishers Weekly, starred review"A fast-paced and thrilling read with twists and turns that never let up." — School Library Journal"Gripping." — Kirkus Reviews"Should appeal to fans of . . . Suzanne Collins. . . . A sure-fire mix of adventure, mystery, and suspense." — The Horn Book
★ 12/01/2015
Gr 5–8—This work follows the brave journey of 12-year-old Gerta and her older brother, Fritz, as they try to leave East Berlin. Gerta's father escaped right before the Wall went up, but Gerta spots him across the Wall and deciphers his secret message that she is to dig her way through freedom. The novel graphically describes life in East Berlin and the terror and fear experienced by the average citizen. The suspense builds with each chapter. Additional characters who make the story come alive include the snooping neighbor; Gerta's former best friend, Anna; and their lonely mother, who has to care for their aging grandmother. Kate Simses's reading is fast-paced, emotionally charged, and exciting. Her voice is clear and age-appropriate for the characters depicted. VERDICT This excellent work of historical fiction is suspenseful, realistic, and enthralling. ["The novel's strong setting and tense climax will keep readers engrossed and holding their breath until the last page": SLJ 7/15 review of the Scholastic book.]—Ellen Frank, Flushing High School Library, Queens, NY
07/01/2015
Gr 5–8—It's August 13, 1961. Young Gerta wakes up to see that the Berlin Wall has been built overnight, dividing not only her city but her family. Her father and brother Dominic went looking for work on the west side of the city and now they cannot return home. Gerta, her mother, and brother Fritz are trapped in East Berlin. Years pass and resentment of Russian oppression and her family's separation make the now 12-year-old more than ready to take a dangerous chance when her father's smuggled clues encourage her to dig a tunnel to freedom. Nielsen, best known for her fantasy novels, proves she is equally skilled at historical fiction in this solidly structured, balanced account of the origins of an infamous historical landmark. Gerta is a sassy, determined heroine with realistic fears and frustrations—like her longing for a banana. Distinct supporting characters each react differently to Russian rule and demonstrate the harrowing choices people made to survive, encouraging readers to consider what they would have done if fate and history had cast them into the story. The novel is also an intriguing history of the Berlin Wall itself, detailing how and why it was built and citizens' first reactions. Opening each chapter is an inspirational quote about freedom and bravery juxtaposed with barbed-wire illustrations; the book's final quote ominously warns "History repeats itself." VERDICT The novel's strong setting and tense climax will keep readers engrossed and holding their breath until the last page.—Marybeth Kozikowski, Sachem Public Library, Holbrook, NY
Kate Simses serves up a vivid, utterly believable portrayal of a family separated by the newly erected Berlin Wall. Young Gerta, her mother, and her older brother, Fritz, are trapped by the constant scrutiny of the East German border police, while her father and younger brother are unable to return from the West. Listeners will feel the complete despair in Gerta’s voice as life in East Berlin becomes bleak and uncertain. Simses allows hope to flicker in the two children as they dig a tunnel toward freedom, and their father and brother. Simses paces the ebb and flow of tension so well that listeners will lose all track of time. The palpable fear of capture and the excited hope of reunion raise this performance above the norm. M.F.T. © AudioFile 2015, Portland, Maine
2015-06-06
A family is separated overnight when East Berlin erects the Berlin Wall. Eight-year-old Gerta wakes up on Aug. 13, 1961, to find that a barbed wire fence has been erected around East Berlin. Two days earlier, her father and older brother Dominic had traveled to West Berlin to look for work, and now they can't get back. Based on historical fact, the story shines a personal light on the many families who were separated by the division of the two cities. Nielsen convincingly paints a chilling picture of repressive, Communist-controlled East Berlin, so much so that when Greta sees her father on the other side of the wall, years later, pantomiming digging, readers easily accept her plan to dig an escape tunnel into West Berlin. As Greta, her other older brother, Fritz, and eventually their mother dig the tunnel, enduring hunger, exhaustion, and risking detection, readers will root for them with every shovelful. However, when the diggers realize the noise they hear is their father digging from the other side and that their tunnels are now only feet apart, instead of pushing through and running to freedom, they decide that they should stop and reinforce the tunnels. This decision seems ludicrous. Further implausible decisions ramp up the tension, but they also ramp up readers' frustration levels, and a formerly riveting tale of history becomes a melodrama. Begins wonderfully; ends melodramatically. (Historical fiction. 9-12)
Product Details
| BN ID: | 2940171262303 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Scholastic, Inc. |
| Publication date: | 08/25/2015 |
| Edition description: | Unabridged |
| Sales rank: | 994,514 |
| Age Range: | 10 - 13 Years |
Read an Excerpt
From A NIGHT DIVIDEDIt was still very early in the morning, and large bulldozers could be heard, already tearing down homes or hundred-year-old trees that were in the way of the fence. Along with most of the people in my neighborhood, I stood on the road, facing the guns that faced us. Mama held one of my hands and Fritz held the other. No one around me cried, and not even the strongest men fought back. Why didn't we? I looked around, waiting for someone to rush at the officers in a cry for freedom. Then others would join in and fight until we overpowered the guards and showed them we refused to be held in here like criminals. Or until enough of us were shot. The guards looked prepared to do that, if necessary. Probably everyone here already understood that, because like me, they only stood and watched. Maybe we were all too empty for tears, and too horrified for words. When I asked Fritz when Papa and Dominic would be able to come home, he only knelt beside me and shook his head. Quietly, he whispered, "Papa was a part of the resistance, Gerta, or they think he was. As long as that fence is up, they will never let him come home, and he won't send Dominic back to this place. But don’t worry, I'm sure it can't last long." The people around me had already given a name to this day: Barbed Wire Sunday. The day that divided a city, and eventually a country. Worst of all, the day that divided my family. The sun warmed my back as it slowly rose in the east, and I shivered against it. This early morning light had not ended the long, dark night. No. For us, the dark night had only begun.
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