Recommended Age:
11
+
Ideal for independent readers who enjoy fast-paced, suspenseful stories with strong character engagement.
About the Book
The night the Berlin Wall goes up in 1961, twelve-year-old Gerta's family is divided—her father and brother stranded on the Western side—and when her father sends a coded message through a checkpoint guard's performance, she and her remaining brother begin digging an escape tunnel in secret. A gripping historical thriller that makes the tension of Cold War Berlin visceral and immediate for middle-grade readers.
Content Ratings
💡
Moderate Themes
The book depicts life under oppressive surveillance, the psychological weight of living among informants, the physical danger of crossing a militarized border, and the cost of seeking freedom under authoritarianism.
⚔️
Moderate Violence
Armed guards, surveillance, and the constant threat of arrest create genuine and sustained tension.
Engagement:
Genre:
Historical Fiction
Published:
2015
Page Count:
264
