A Night Divided

Overnight, Gerta finds her family divided.

One night, her father and next older brother went to West Berlin to find supplies for her family.

The next morning, she finds East German soldiers building a massive concrete wall, sealing her, her oldest brother and their mother inside East Berlin.

Gerta tries to live her life, but misses her father and brother dreadfully. She can’t stop thinking about how to reunite her family. She can’t stop looking at the wall, looking at the platforms in the west, wondering if she will ever see her father.

Then one day, she does. She sees her father on a platform in the west, performing a dance from her childhood. She realizes her father has a plan to reunite their family – but can she make it work on her side of the wall?

A Night Divided by Jennifer A. Nielsen tells Gerta’s fight for freedom in the midst of threats and danger. This is a difficult story to tell for younger readers, and Nielsen does a masterful job of conveying the feelings and desperation without getting too graphic.

Highly recommended for ages 10 and up.