What an incredible story, told in a clever way of letters, diary entries and offfical Stasi reports. It has the feel of a true historical representation of a time period often unexplored.
I remember the fall of the Berlin Wall. My friend was living there with his family when it came down and he sent me a piece as a souvenir. He also sent a cheesy T-shirt that I almost wish I had kept. The stone we still have.
It is one of those significant points of history that doesn’t feature often in children’s literature. But perhaps there is more to know. As Tom Palmer does with his stories, Dan too, sheds lights, information and fact woven into a detailed story where the characters could be people we know. They feel so real and their emotions lift off the page as you read, transporting you to their time.
Having visited “checkpoint Charlie” and seeing evidence of the wall, I don’t think I thought of what it did to families living on opposite sides of the street to each other. It took seeing the remains of the wall and reading the stories to allow it to sink in. It was a fact of life and a danger zone for 28 long years.
Dan Smith has brought a significant piece of history to light for a new generation of reader. The hope is that we never have to see something like this happen again.
What an incredible story!
My Shelves Are Full 