A review by yapha
Cloud and Wallfish by Anne Nesbet

4.0

Noah's day went from strange to surreal as his parents picked him up from school, told him his name was now Jonah and his birthday was 6 months later than he thought, threw out his back pack, and went straight to the airport to fly from what was no longer his home in Virginia to East Germany. Noah has an Astonishing Stutter, and speaking German with all of its hard consonants doesn't help. It is 1989 and his mother has received permission to study children with speech defects in East Berlin. It is rare and unusual for Americans to be there, and Noah/Jonah must follow a strict set of rules, which may or may not include the possibility of making friends. This fascinating look at life just before the fall of the Berlin Wall will intrigue young readers who are looking for real-life spy stories. Pair this with Jennifer Nielsen's A Night Divided for a look at the beginning and end of the Wall. Highly recommended to grades 4 & up.