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Recommended by: Tom Griffiths
Contact: @TJGriffiths
Author: Dan Smith
Form: Prose – historical fiction
Epistolatory – told through letters, dead drop notes, newspaper articles and diary accounts
Length: 272 pages
Brief synopsis: In Berlin during the summer of 1961, cousins – and best friends – Anja and Monika – are horrified to find soldiers building a huge barbed wire fence between where they live. Sadly, this wall divides the city and gets so tall they can no longer see each other to communicate. In East Berlin, Monika is scared by the secret police who seem to be everywhere but when Anja’s cat finds a way across, Anja decides to follow him. What will happen when she ends up trapped?
Age recommendation: Year 5 (Upper KS2)+
Notable reasons for recommending: History – The Berlin Wall.
Other useful information: Great links to immigration today could be discussed. A great exploration of empathy too.