Cloud and Wallfish

August 22, 2016
Nesbet’s (The Wrinkled Crown) author’s note (“Some books live on the history shelves, and other books are fiction—but Cloud & Wallfish has deep roots in both”) captures the essence of this intricately detailed story of an American boy forced to move to East Berlin in 1989. Eleven-year-old Noah Keller is shocked when his family abruptly relocates to communist-controlled Germany and even more surprised when his parents change his name and birthday. Before entering the city, his parents lay out important rules, including “Don’t ever talk about serious things indoors” and “Don’t call attention to yourself.” Noah’s self-described “Astonishing Stutter” isolates him until he meets his adventurous neighbor, Claudia. With her help, Noah unravels why his parents are acting strangely and what happened to Claudia’s dead parents. Through Noah’s innocent but perceptive eyes, readers receive a first-hand look at this secretive and highly controlled world. Post-chapter “Secret Files” provide fascinating historical context, but the story’s heart lies in the friendship between Claudia and Noah, and in the lengths loved ones will go to in order to break down even the most formidable walls. Ages 10–14. Agent: Ammi-Joan Paquette, Erin Murphy Literary.

September 1, 2016

Gr 5-8-Fifth grader Noah Keller is surprised when both his parents pick him up from school and astonished when they tell him that his mother has been granted permission to do "dissertation research" in East Germany for six months-and that they're leaving immediately and temporarily changing their names. After learning "The Rules, as Explained by Noah's Mother," which include statements such as "they will always be listening and often be watching" and "don't ever talk about serious things indoors; in particular, never refer to people by name," Noah (now called Jonah) arrives in East Berlin with his family. A new friend, tragedy, and burgeoning suspicion about Noah's parents play out in a subtle and well-paced story about the months leading up to the fall of the Berlin Wall. Tension mounts as Noah continues to gain an understanding of the fear and desperation people feel, while readers are privy to "Secret Files" that provide historical context. Multidimensional characters are developed piece by piece to keep mystery and curiosity alive. Noah and his parents share a loving bond that grounds the plot and provides a shelter from the uncertainty and confusion Noah often feels in light of unfamiliar surroundings and jarring situations. Nesbet writes an interesting and nuanced narrative that weaves history, mystery, and friendship with enough action to keep readers engaged. VERDICT A great choice for those looking for a thrilling historical fiction or coming-of-age tale.-Kelsey Johnson-Kaiser, St. Paul Public Library.

Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

A sudden adventure to East Germany changes Noah's life forever--literally, as he assumes a new name and family history.Swooped up by his parents after school one day, fifth-grade stutterer Noah must dump his backpack on the way to the airport and learn his "real" name and history so that his mother can take a sudden opportunity to conduct research in East Berlin. The white American boy becomes "Jonah" and experiences the world behind the Iron Curtain in 1989 with the help of a new German friend, Claudia, also white. Nesbet (The Wrinkled Crown, 2015, etc.) ventures from fantasy into a new genre and unpacks her story slowly, sometimes ponderously, by inserting "secret files" from an omniscient narrator who explains much of the context required to appreciate the history in the fiction. There is intrigue involving the reported death of Claudia's parents and Noah's suspicions about his own mother's story, but the suspense and character development are bogged down by slow pacing. Noah's stutter effectively portrays him as the misunderstood outsider, but his photographic memory becomes purely plot device as Nesbet unravels a belatedly thrilling ending. Her author's note reveals the personal history behind the novel, suggesting a labor of love that does show in the carefully crafted details and effective scene-setting. While not fully absorbing, Nesbet's detail-rich novel offers tenacious readers an interesting window into the fall of the Iron Curtain. (Historical fiction. 10-14) COPYRIGHT(1) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

August 15, 2016
A sudden adventure to East Germany changes Noahs life foreverliterally, as he assumes a new name and family history.Swooped up by his parents after school one day, fifth-grade stutterer Noah must dump his backpack on the way to the airport and learn his real name and history so that his mother can take a sudden opportunity to conduct research in East Berlin. The white American boy becomes Jonah and experiences the world behind the Iron Curtain in 1989 with the help of a new German friend, Claudia, also white. Nesbet (The Wrinkled Crown, 2015, etc.) ventures from fantasy into a new genre and unpacks her story slowly, sometimes ponderously, by inserting secret files from an omniscient narrator who explains much of the context required to appreciate the history in the fiction. There is intrigue involving the reported death of Claudias parents and Noahs suspicions about his own mothers story, but the suspense and character development are bogged down by slow pacing. Noahs stutter effectively portrays him as the misunderstood outsider, but his photographic memory becomes purely plot device as Nesbet unravels a belatedly thrilling ending. Her authors note reveals the personal history behind the novel, suggesting a labor of love that does show in the carefully crafted details and effective scene-setting. While not fully absorbing, Nesbets detail-rich novel offers tenacious readers an interesting window into the fall of the Iron Curtain. (Historical fiction. 10-14)

COPYRIGHT(2016) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

September 1, 2016
Grades 5-8 Life just got really weird for fifth-grader Noah Keller. In fact, he just got a brand new lifeincluding a new home (East Berlin), name (Jonah Brown), and age (10)and he's not happy about any of it, though a severe stutter makes it difficult for him to express his dismay. His parents lay all this on him after school one day while driving straight for the airport. In 1989, few people are allowed extended visits to East Germany, but Mrs. Keller's research into speech pathology has granted them a six-month stay. A long list of rules accompanies this bewildering trip, including don't draw attention to yourself and not to forget that they will always be listening. Nesbet gives readers a glimpse into life behind the Iron Curtain, but her intriguing premise soon languishes from the frequent intrusion of Secret Files, which feel like mini history lessons. Noah's friendship with his neighbor Claudia is genuinely touching, and some truly tense scenes unfold as secrets are revealed and readers witness events leading to the fall of the Berlin Wall.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)

January 1, 2017
In 1989, Noah's parents whisk him from Virginia to East Berlin, where they change his name and impose rules, especially -They will always be listening.- As the novel unfolds, there's growing evidence that Noah's mother isn't what he thinks she is (The Americans, anyone?). Nesbet's atmospheric page-turner is edgy, emotionally rich historical fiction; sidebars include information about East Germany and the Cold War.

(Copyright 2017 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

Starred review from November 1, 2016
Noah Keller's life in 1989 small-town Virginia is uneventfuluntil the day his parents pick him up after school and whisk him off to East Berlin, where, he is told, his PhD candidate mother will be researching children's speech challenges such as his own persistent stutter. Similar to Alice's trip through the looking glass (Alice is the only book he's allowed to bring with him), everything turns topsy-turvy. His parents tell him his name is now Jonah Brown; give him a photo album full of images of the family living a different life; and impose a set of rules to follow, most especially Rule Number One: They will always be listening. They are East Germany's secret police, and Noah quickly learns that they are indeed everywhere. As the novel unfolds, the secrets keep piling up. There's the girl downstairs staying with her grandmother because her parents have mysteriously died: Claudia, whom he nicknames Cloud (while she calls him Wallfish, which sounds like the German word for whale, playing off his new name and the Berlin Wall that separates them from the rest of the world). And what about Noah's mother? There is growing evidence that she may not be what he thinks she is (The Americans, anyone?). In this atmospheric page-turner set just as the Iron Curtain begins to lift, Nesbet deftly ratchets up the tension, using a close third-person omniscient narration to keep readers experiencing one unnerving event after another, just as Noah does. Scattered throughout are Secret File sidebars with facts and information about East Germany and the Cold War at that time. This is edgy, dramatic, and emotionally rich historical fiction that provides a vivid look into an extraordinary moment in history. monica edinger

(Copyright 2016 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)