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Cloud and Wallfish
Noah Keller has a pretty normal life, until one wild afternoon when his parents pick him up from school and head straight for the airport, telling him on the ride that his name isn’t really Noah and he didn’t really just turn eleven in March. And he can’t even ask them why — not because of his Astonishing Stutter, but because asking questions is against the newly instated rules. (Rule Number Two: Don’t talk about serious things indoors, because Rule Number One: They will always be listening).
As Noah—now "Jonah Brown"—and his parents head behind the Iron Curtain into East Berlin, the rules and secrets begin to pile up so quickly that he can hardly keep track of the questions bubbling up inside him: Who, exactly, is listening — and why? When did his mother become fluent in so many languages? And what really happened to the parents of his only friend, Cloud-Claudia, the lonely girl who lives downstairs?
As Noah—now "Jonah Brown"—and his parents head behind the Iron Curtain into East Berlin, the rules and secrets begin to pile up so quickly that he can hardly keep track of the questions bubbling up inside him: Who, exactly, is listening — and why? When did his mother become fluent in so many languages? And what really happened to the parents of his only friend, Cloud-Claudia, the lonely girl who lives downstairs?
400 pages, Unknown Binding
First published October 4, 2016
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May 7, 2020
4.5 stars. We really enjoyed this story of friendship and life in East Berlin shortly before the wall coming down. Eleven year old Noah has a stutter, he also has a photographic memory and a resilient character. Being understood hasn't been easy for Noah and being thrust into East German life with a new language to take on and some awful attitudes make him feel lonelier than ever.
I would advise if you are thinking of reading this book not to read any reviews. I had read reviews about this long ago enough to forget certain details that were fun to speculate about and guess for ourselves. Although we had suspicions early on it was good to find out slowly.
The historical details were really interesting, we really enjoyed finding out about life behind the iron curtain from a child's perspective. I visited Berlin as a teenager just after the wall came down so this was an interesting element for me, I still have a piece of the wall somewhere. It was interesting to see how the lives of the East Berliners were affected and controlled by the system and it was great to meet some characters who had had enough of this and wanted change.
There were some realistic characters and we appreciated that parents and grandparents were portrayed as less than perfect just as they are in real life. We loved the friendship between Wallfish and Cloud-Claudia and enjoyed their made up names and meanings. We loved the ideas these two shared. The jigsaw puzzles, map making, paper cut-outs and other ingenious methods of communication. We particularly enjoyed the final 'Cloud' campaign.
We appreciated the ending and after notes. Several recently written books we have read lately have had such an open ended ending it has left us feeling really annoyed! This ending was a nice compromise between having things tied up ridiculously neatly and leaving you wondering.
Cloud and Wallfish are two wonderful characters and this was a very interesting and enjoyable book about this period of history when huge change took place for many lives.
I would advise if you are thinking of reading this book not to read any reviews. I had read reviews about this long ago enough to forget certain details that were fun to speculate about and guess for ourselves. Although we had suspicions early on it was good to find out slowly.
The historical details were really interesting, we really enjoyed finding out about life behind the iron curtain from a child's perspective. I visited Berlin as a teenager just after the wall came down so this was an interesting element for me, I still have a piece of the wall somewhere. It was interesting to see how the lives of the East Berliners were affected and controlled by the system and it was great to meet some characters who had had enough of this and wanted change.
There were some realistic characters and we appreciated that parents and grandparents were portrayed as less than perfect just as they are in real life. We loved the friendship between Wallfish and Cloud-Claudia and enjoyed their made up names and meanings. We loved the ideas these two shared. The jigsaw puzzles, map making, paper cut-outs and other ingenious methods of communication. We particularly enjoyed the final 'Cloud' campaign.
We appreciated the ending and after notes. Several recently written books we have read lately have had such an open ended ending it has left us feeling really annoyed! This ending was a nice compromise between having things tied up ridiculously neatly and leaving you wondering.
Cloud and Wallfish are two wonderful characters and this was a very interesting and enjoyable book about this period of history when huge change took place for many lives.
September 27, 2016
Historical fiction is boring. Right? That’s the common wisdom on the matter, certainly. Take two characters (interesting), give them a problem (interesting), and set them in the past (BOOOOOORING!). And to be fair, there are a LOT of dull-as-dishwater works of historical fiction out there. Books where a kid has to wade through knee-deep descriptions, dates, facts, and superfluous details. But there is pushback against this kind of thinking. Laurie Halse Anderson, for example, likes to call her books (Chains, Forge, Ashes, etc.) “historical thrillers”. People are setting their books in unique historical time periods. And finally (and perhaps most importantly) we’re seeing a lot more works of historical fiction that are truly fun to read. Books like The War That Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley, or One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia, or My Near-Death Adventures by Alison DeCamp, or ALL of Louise Erdrich’s titles for kids. Better add Cloud and Wallfish by Anne Nesbet to that list as well. Doing what I can only characterize as the impossible, Nesbet somehow manages to bring East Germany in 1989 to full-blown, fascinating life. Maybe you wouldn't want to live there, but it's certainly worth a trip.
His name is Noah. Was Noah. It’s like this, one minute you’re just living your life, normal as you please, and the next your parents have informed you that your name is a lie, your birth date is wrong, and you’re moving to East Berlin. The year is 1989 and as Noah (now Jonah)’s father would say, there’s a definite smell of history in the air. His mother has moved the family to this new city as part of her research into education and stuttering (an impediment that Noah shares) for six months. But finding himself unable to attend school in a world so unlike the one he just left, the boy is lonely. That’s why he’s so grateful when the girl below his apartment, Claudia, befriends him. But there are secrets surrounding these new friends. How did Claudia’s parents recently die? Why are Noah’s parents being so mysterious? And what is going on in Germany? With an Iron Curtain shuddering on its foundations, Noah’s not just going to smell that history in the air. He’s going to live it, and he’s going to get a friend out of the bargain as well.
It was a bit of a risk on Nesbet’s part to begin the book by introducing us to Noah’s parents right off the bat as weirdly suspicious people. It may take Noah half a book to create a mental file on his mom, but those of us not related to the woman are starting our own much sooner. Say, from the minute we meet her. It was very interesting to watch his parents upend their son’s world and then win back his trust by dint of their location as well as their charm and evident love. It almost reads like a dare from one author to another. “I bet you can’t make a reader deeply distrust a character’s parents right from the start, then make you trust them again, then leave them sort of lost in a moral sea of gray, but still likable!” Challenge accepted!
Spoiler Alert on This Paragraph (feel free to skip it if you like surprises): Noah’s mom is probably the most interesting parent you’ll encounter in a children’s book in a long time. By the time the book is over you know several things. 1. She definitely loves Noah. 2. She’s also using his disability to further her undercover activities, just as he fears. 3. She incredibly frightening. The kind of person you wouldn’t want to cross. She and her husband are utterly charming but you get the distinct feeling that Noah’s preternatural ability to put the puzzle pieces of his life together is as much nature as it is nurture. Coming to the end of the book you see that Noah has sent Claudia postcards over the years from places all over the world. Never Virginia. One could read that a lot of different ways but I read it as his mother dragging him along with her from country to country. There may never be a “home” for Noah now. But she loves him, right? I foresee a lot of really interesting bookclub discussions about the ending of this book, to say nothing about how we should view his parents.
As I mentioned before, historical fiction that’s actually interesting can be difficult to create. And since 1989 is clear-cut historical fiction (this is the second time a character from the past shared my birth year in a children's book . . . *shudder*) Nesbet utilizes several expository techniques to keep young readers (and, let’s face it, a lot of adult readers) updated on what precisely is going on. From page ten onward a series of “Secret Files” boxes will pop up within the text to give readers the low-down. These are written in a catchy, engaging style directly to the reader, suggesting that they are from the point of view of an omniscient narrator who knows the past, the future, and the innermost thoughts of the characters. So in addition to the story, which wraps you in lies and half-truths right from the start to get you interested, you have these little boxes of explanation, giving you information the characters often do not have. Some of these Secret Files are more interesting than others, but as with the Moby Dick portions in Louis Sachar’s The Cardturner, readers can choose to skip them if they so desire. They should be wary, though. A lot of pertinent information is sequestered in these little boxes. I wouldn’t cut out one of them for all the wide wide world.
Another way Nesbet keeps everything interesting is with her attention to detail. The author that knows the minutia of their fictional world is an author who can convince readers that it exists. Nesbet does this by including lots of tiny details few Americans have ever known. The pirated version of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz that was disseminated for years throughout the German Democratic Republic? I had no idea. The listing of television programs available there? Very funny (did I mention the book is funny too?). Even the food you could get in the grocery store and the smell of the coal-choked air feels authentic.
Of course, you can load your book down with cute boxes and details all day and still lose a reader if they don't relate to the characters. Noah could easily be reduced to one of those blank slate narrators who go through a book without a clear cut personality. I'm happy to report that this isn't the case here. And I appreciated the Claudia was never a straight victim or one of those characters that appears impervious to the pain in her life. Similarly, Noah is a stutterer but the book never throws the two-dimensional bully in his path. His challenges are all very strange and unique to his location. I was also impressed by how Nesbet dealt with Claudia’s German (she makes up words or comes up with some Noah has never heard of and so Nesbet has the unenviable job of making that clear on the page). By the same token, Noah has a severe stutter, but having read the whole book I’m pretty sure Nesbet only spells the stutter out on the page once. For every other time we’re told about it after the fact or as it is happening.
I’ve said all this without, somehow, mentioning how lovely Nesbet’s writing is. The degree to which she’s willing to go deep into her material, plucking out the elements that will resonate the most with her young readers, is masterful. Consider a section that explains what it feels like to play the role of yourself in your own life. “This is true even for people who aren’t crossing borders or dealing with police. Many people in middle school, for instance, are pretending to be who they actually are. A lot of bad acting is involved.” Descriptions are delicious as well. When Claudia comes over for dinner after hearing about the death of her parents Nesbet writes, “Underneath the bristles, Noah could tell, lurked a squishy heap of misery.”
There’s little room for nuance in Nesbet’s Berlin, that’s for sure. The East Berliners we meet are either frightened, in charge, or actively rebelling. In her Author’s Note, Nesbet writes about her time in the German Democratic Republic in early 1989, noting where a lot of the details of the book came from. She also mentions the wonderful friends she had there at that time. Noah, by the very plot in which he finds himself, would not be able to meet these wonderful people. As such, he has a black-and-white view of life in East Berlin. And it’s interesting to note that when his classmates talk up the wonders of their society, he never wonders if anything they tell him is true. Is everyone employed? At what price? There is good and bad and if there is nuance it is mostly found in the characters like Noah’s mother. Nesbet herself leaves readers with some very wise words in her Author’s Note when she says to child readers, “Truth and fiction are tangled together in everything human beings do and in every story they tell. Whenever a book claims to be telling the truth, it is wise (as Noah’s mother says at one point) to keep asking questions.” I would have liked a little more gray in the story, but I can hardly think of a better lesson to impart to children in our current day and age.
In many way, the book this reminded me of the most was Katherine Paterson’s Bridge to Terabithia. Think about it. A boy desperate for a friend meets an out-of-the-box kind of girl. They invent a fantasyland together that’s across a distinct border (in this book Claudia imagines it’s just beyond the Wall). Paterson’s book was a meditation on friendship, just like Nesbet’s. Yet there is so much more going on here. There are serious thoughts about surveillance (something kids have to think about a lot more today), fear, revolution, loyalty, and more than all this, what you have to do to keep yourself sane in a world where things are going mad. Alice Through the Looking Glass is referenced repeatedly, and not by accident. Noah has found himself in a world where the rules he grew up with have changed. As a result he must cling to what he knows to be true. Fortunately, he has a smart author to help him along the way. Anne Nesbet always calls Noah by his own name, even when her characters don’t. He is always Noah to us and to himself. That he finds himself in one of the most interesting and readable historical novels written for kids is no small thing. Nesbet outdoes herself. Kids are the beneficiaries.
For ages 9 and up.
His name is Noah. Was Noah. It’s like this, one minute you’re just living your life, normal as you please, and the next your parents have informed you that your name is a lie, your birth date is wrong, and you’re moving to East Berlin. The year is 1989 and as Noah (now Jonah)’s father would say, there’s a definite smell of history in the air. His mother has moved the family to this new city as part of her research into education and stuttering (an impediment that Noah shares) for six months. But finding himself unable to attend school in a world so unlike the one he just left, the boy is lonely. That’s why he’s so grateful when the girl below his apartment, Claudia, befriends him. But there are secrets surrounding these new friends. How did Claudia’s parents recently die? Why are Noah’s parents being so mysterious? And what is going on in Germany? With an Iron Curtain shuddering on its foundations, Noah’s not just going to smell that history in the air. He’s going to live it, and he’s going to get a friend out of the bargain as well.
It was a bit of a risk on Nesbet’s part to begin the book by introducing us to Noah’s parents right off the bat as weirdly suspicious people. It may take Noah half a book to create a mental file on his mom, but those of us not related to the woman are starting our own much sooner. Say, from the minute we meet her. It was very interesting to watch his parents upend their son’s world and then win back his trust by dint of their location as well as their charm and evident love. It almost reads like a dare from one author to another. “I bet you can’t make a reader deeply distrust a character’s parents right from the start, then make you trust them again, then leave them sort of lost in a moral sea of gray, but still likable!” Challenge accepted!
Spoiler Alert on This Paragraph (feel free to skip it if you like surprises): Noah’s mom is probably the most interesting parent you’ll encounter in a children’s book in a long time. By the time the book is over you know several things. 1. She definitely loves Noah. 2. She’s also using his disability to further her undercover activities, just as he fears. 3. She incredibly frightening. The kind of person you wouldn’t want to cross. She and her husband are utterly charming but you get the distinct feeling that Noah’s preternatural ability to put the puzzle pieces of his life together is as much nature as it is nurture. Coming to the end of the book you see that Noah has sent Claudia postcards over the years from places all over the world. Never Virginia. One could read that a lot of different ways but I read it as his mother dragging him along with her from country to country. There may never be a “home” for Noah now. But she loves him, right? I foresee a lot of really interesting bookclub discussions about the ending of this book, to say nothing about how we should view his parents.
As I mentioned before, historical fiction that’s actually interesting can be difficult to create. And since 1989 is clear-cut historical fiction (this is the second time a character from the past shared my birth year in a children's book . . . *shudder*) Nesbet utilizes several expository techniques to keep young readers (and, let’s face it, a lot of adult readers) updated on what precisely is going on. From page ten onward a series of “Secret Files” boxes will pop up within the text to give readers the low-down. These are written in a catchy, engaging style directly to the reader, suggesting that they are from the point of view of an omniscient narrator who knows the past, the future, and the innermost thoughts of the characters. So in addition to the story, which wraps you in lies and half-truths right from the start to get you interested, you have these little boxes of explanation, giving you information the characters often do not have. Some of these Secret Files are more interesting than others, but as with the Moby Dick portions in Louis Sachar’s The Cardturner, readers can choose to skip them if they so desire. They should be wary, though. A lot of pertinent information is sequestered in these little boxes. I wouldn’t cut out one of them for all the wide wide world.
Another way Nesbet keeps everything interesting is with her attention to detail. The author that knows the minutia of their fictional world is an author who can convince readers that it exists. Nesbet does this by including lots of tiny details few Americans have ever known. The pirated version of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz that was disseminated for years throughout the German Democratic Republic? I had no idea. The listing of television programs available there? Very funny (did I mention the book is funny too?). Even the food you could get in the grocery store and the smell of the coal-choked air feels authentic.
Of course, you can load your book down with cute boxes and details all day and still lose a reader if they don't relate to the characters. Noah could easily be reduced to one of those blank slate narrators who go through a book without a clear cut personality. I'm happy to report that this isn't the case here. And I appreciated the Claudia was never a straight victim or one of those characters that appears impervious to the pain in her life. Similarly, Noah is a stutterer but the book never throws the two-dimensional bully in his path. His challenges are all very strange and unique to his location. I was also impressed by how Nesbet dealt with Claudia’s German (she makes up words or comes up with some Noah has never heard of and so Nesbet has the unenviable job of making that clear on the page). By the same token, Noah has a severe stutter, but having read the whole book I’m pretty sure Nesbet only spells the stutter out on the page once. For every other time we’re told about it after the fact or as it is happening.
I’ve said all this without, somehow, mentioning how lovely Nesbet’s writing is. The degree to which she’s willing to go deep into her material, plucking out the elements that will resonate the most with her young readers, is masterful. Consider a section that explains what it feels like to play the role of yourself in your own life. “This is true even for people who aren’t crossing borders or dealing with police. Many people in middle school, for instance, are pretending to be who they actually are. A lot of bad acting is involved.” Descriptions are delicious as well. When Claudia comes over for dinner after hearing about the death of her parents Nesbet writes, “Underneath the bristles, Noah could tell, lurked a squishy heap of misery.”
There’s little room for nuance in Nesbet’s Berlin, that’s for sure. The East Berliners we meet are either frightened, in charge, or actively rebelling. In her Author’s Note, Nesbet writes about her time in the German Democratic Republic in early 1989, noting where a lot of the details of the book came from. She also mentions the wonderful friends she had there at that time. Noah, by the very plot in which he finds himself, would not be able to meet these wonderful people. As such, he has a black-and-white view of life in East Berlin. And it’s interesting to note that when his classmates talk up the wonders of their society, he never wonders if anything they tell him is true. Is everyone employed? At what price? There is good and bad and if there is nuance it is mostly found in the characters like Noah’s mother. Nesbet herself leaves readers with some very wise words in her Author’s Note when she says to child readers, “Truth and fiction are tangled together in everything human beings do and in every story they tell. Whenever a book claims to be telling the truth, it is wise (as Noah’s mother says at one point) to keep asking questions.” I would have liked a little more gray in the story, but I can hardly think of a better lesson to impart to children in our current day and age.
In many way, the book this reminded me of the most was Katherine Paterson’s Bridge to Terabithia. Think about it. A boy desperate for a friend meets an out-of-the-box kind of girl. They invent a fantasyland together that’s across a distinct border (in this book Claudia imagines it’s just beyond the Wall). Paterson’s book was a meditation on friendship, just like Nesbet’s. Yet there is so much more going on here. There are serious thoughts about surveillance (something kids have to think about a lot more today), fear, revolution, loyalty, and more than all this, what you have to do to keep yourself sane in a world where things are going mad. Alice Through the Looking Glass is referenced repeatedly, and not by accident. Noah has found himself in a world where the rules he grew up with have changed. As a result he must cling to what he knows to be true. Fortunately, he has a smart author to help him along the way. Anne Nesbet always calls Noah by his own name, even when her characters don’t. He is always Noah to us and to himself. That he finds himself in one of the most interesting and readable historical novels written for kids is no small thing. Nesbet outdoes herself. Kids are the beneficiaries.
For ages 9 and up.
May 5, 2020
4-1/2 stars
I did stay up later than I’d wanted in order to finish it. It was a hard book to put down and an easy one to pick up to read.
I highly and equally recommend this book for boys and for girls. I think it’s an especially good story for readers ages 9-11, but I think the story can be enjoyed by all ages 7 and up.
It’s a great historical fiction book for kids and includes some fascinating real history, including a few tidbits new to me or not remembered by me. I do vividly remember that time and its event(s). The reader is given dates at various times in the mostly fictional story so the reader will know (or can learn) that much of the story takes place in East Berlin when the Berlin Wall is up but in the year it will come down.
This is a lovely friendship story between a boy (Wallfish) and a girl (Cloud) and I do appreciate how the relationship develops and how it’s powerful and influential on both children, and I applaud the believability of the account. (I was the “new” kid several times between the ages of 5 and 11. I could identify with Wallfish about some things, even though our circumstances were completely different. Ditto identifying about some things about Cloud, and also about the whole honesty vs. secrets aspect of the story.)
This is a perfect book for kids who stutter of have anything about themselves that makes them feel self-conscious.
I like that some of the adults as well as some of the kids are more fleshed out than in some children’s books. Most of them seemed like real people.
I really liked it but it’s quite a 5 star book for me. I enjoyed the end sections that continues to follow one important part of the story. I felt a bit frustrated with the relationship between the boy and his parents. I didn’t like the mystery that sort of remained. I read reviews at bit too revealing before I read the book (I strongly recommend that potential readers try avoid all spoilers!) though I luckily didn’t remember much, and what I did remember I wasn’t sure whether or not a certain thing was part of the story. It was fun to guess exactly what was going on. It wasn’t that hard to figure out most of what was mysterious but it was still fun. I would have had a blast trying to figure out things had I read it at ages 9-11. Also, was Wallfish a bit too perfect?: So easily adaptable, so brave, so selfless, etc. I did admire and believe his loyalty and how he handles himself and the circumstances into which he’s thrust and much else about him. I’m glad that he wasn’t depicted as perfect at least.
Some quotes that I liked:
“Names are like codes, yes? Like magic codes. They have everything that ever happened to you squeezed tightly inside them.”
“First of all, people are always pretending to be what they are,” said his father. “That’s basically a philosophical question. Part of being something is pretending to be it.”
And from the author’s note at the end of the book:
“Truth and fiction are tangled together in everything human beings do and in every story they tell. Whenever a book claims to be telling the truth, it is wise (as Noah’s mother says at one point) to keep asking questions.”
I did stay up later than I’d wanted in order to finish it. It was a hard book to put down and an easy one to pick up to read.
I highly and equally recommend this book for boys and for girls. I think it’s an especially good story for readers ages 9-11, but I think the story can be enjoyed by all ages 7 and up.
It’s a great historical fiction book for kids and includes some fascinating real history, including a few tidbits new to me or not remembered by me. I do vividly remember that time and its event(s). The reader is given dates at various times in the mostly fictional story so the reader will know (or can learn) that much of the story takes place in East Berlin when the Berlin Wall is up but in the year it will come down.
This is a lovely friendship story between a boy (Wallfish) and a girl (Cloud) and I do appreciate how the relationship develops and how it’s powerful and influential on both children, and I applaud the believability of the account. (I was the “new” kid several times between the ages of 5 and 11. I could identify with Wallfish about some things, even though our circumstances were completely different. Ditto identifying about some things about Cloud, and also about the whole honesty vs. secrets aspect of the story.)
This is a perfect book for kids who stutter of have anything about themselves that makes them feel self-conscious.
I like that some of the adults as well as some of the kids are more fleshed out than in some children’s books. Most of them seemed like real people.
I really liked it but it’s quite a 5 star book for me. I enjoyed the end sections that continues to follow one important part of the story. I felt a bit frustrated with the relationship between the boy and his parents. I didn’t like the mystery that sort of remained. I read reviews at bit too revealing before I read the book (I strongly recommend that potential readers try avoid all spoilers!) though I luckily didn’t remember much, and what I did remember I wasn’t sure whether or not a certain thing was part of the story. It was fun to guess exactly what was going on. It wasn’t that hard to figure out most of what was mysterious but it was still fun. I would have had a blast trying to figure out things had I read it at ages 9-11. Also, was Wallfish a bit too perfect?: So easily adaptable, so brave, so selfless, etc. I did admire and believe his loyalty and how he handles himself and the circumstances into which he’s thrust and much else about him. I’m glad that he wasn’t depicted as perfect at least.
Some quotes that I liked:
“Names are like codes, yes? Like magic codes. They have everything that ever happened to you squeezed tightly inside them.”
“First of all, people are always pretending to be what they are,” said his father. “That’s basically a philosophical question. Part of being something is pretending to be it.”
And from the author’s note at the end of the book:
“Truth and fiction are tangled together in everything human beings do and in every story they tell. Whenever a book claims to be telling the truth, it is wise (as Noah’s mother says at one point) to keep asking questions.”
March 15, 2022
Oh I do so much appreciate that in her Cloud and Wallfish author Anne Nesbet has created a Middle Grade novel that is first and foremost neither simplistic nor one dimensional with regard to in particular East Germany (and in Cloud and Wallfish this of course generally means East Berlin prior to the fall of the Berlin Wall). For while Nesbet ALWAYS and rightfully so points out the many things that were wrong wrong wrong in and with East Berlin (in and with East Germany and behind the Iron Curtain in general) and in particular the constant monitoring and spying that kept happening, she also makes a very strong and yes also courageous point of demonstrating that it was NEVER just the East German government and its stooges who engaged in espionage, that the Americans in particular (and in Cloud and Wallfish this obviously is Noah's parents and yes, especially his mother) also kept monitoring East Germany (and indeed also the citizens of West Berlin as well).
And with the latter in mind thankfully, appreciatively (and on a very personal and emotional level for me) in Cloud and Wallfish, Anne Nesebt also and equally does not in my opinion ever try to present East German spying as "unacceptable” and American spying conversely somehow as "acceptable" but rather she presents a critical attitude towards both and as such also clearly depicting with her story how both Noah and Claudia are victims here, and are also sadly to be seen as unfortunate victims of their nearest and dearest, as both Claudia's grandmother and Noah's parents leave a lot to be desired (and are both in my opinion also shown as often having either their granddaughter for Frau März or their son for Noah's parents not count nearly as much and not be worth as much as politics, as gathering information, as spying).
Highly recommended and yes, the main reason why I am ranking Cloud and Wallfish with five and not with four stars is that I do just so much love love love the narrational balance shown by Anne Nesbet and that she has stayed away from having her text read and appear as one sided, that while Noah and Claudia are in my opinion definitely the heroes of Cloud and Wallfish, it is indeed totally refreshing that the villains are not just the East German government and East German citizens, that Noah's parents, that Americans and American espionage behaviour behind the Iron Curtain and even elsewhere is also critically depicted and condemned by the author (who is obviously also seemingly very much like me in many ways with her desire to see both sides of a given story and yes, that history is also sand equally never just one way and only one way).
And with the latter in mind thankfully, appreciatively (and on a very personal and emotional level for me) in Cloud and Wallfish, Anne Nesebt also and equally does not in my opinion ever try to present East German spying as "unacceptable” and American spying conversely somehow as "acceptable" but rather she presents a critical attitude towards both and as such also clearly depicting with her story how both Noah and Claudia are victims here, and are also sadly to be seen as unfortunate victims of their nearest and dearest, as both Claudia's grandmother and Noah's parents leave a lot to be desired (and are both in my opinion also shown as often having either their granddaughter for Frau März or their son for Noah's parents not count nearly as much and not be worth as much as politics, as gathering information, as spying).
Highly recommended and yes, the main reason why I am ranking Cloud and Wallfish with five and not with four stars is that I do just so much love love love the narrational balance shown by Anne Nesbet and that she has stayed away from having her text read and appear as one sided, that while Noah and Claudia are in my opinion definitely the heroes of Cloud and Wallfish, it is indeed totally refreshing that the villains are not just the East German government and East German citizens, that Noah's parents, that Americans and American espionage behaviour behind the Iron Curtain and even elsewhere is also critically depicted and condemned by the author (who is obviously also seemingly very much like me in many ways with her desire to see both sides of a given story and yes, that history is also sand equally never just one way and only one way).
December 14, 2016
My starred Hornbook review here.
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Thinking a lot about this one. Very interesting structure. Reviewed for Horn Book.
ETA (9/27/16) The more I read others on this one and discuss it the more impressed I am. So much so that I'm adding it to my Newbery Contender list. Here are a few thoughts I've recently written elsewhere about it:
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Thinking a lot about this one. Very interesting structure. Reviewed for Horn Book.
ETA (9/27/16) The more I read others on this one and discuss it the more impressed I am. So much so that I'm adding it to my Newbery Contender list. Here are a few thoughts I've recently written elsewhere about it:
..... Reviewed it for Horn Book and it is growing in my estimation the more I think about it. (I have firsthand experience living in West Germany as a child in the late 1950s and mid1960s. Went to East Berlin too.) One thing that I’ve been admiring more and more are the two narrators — there’s the solemn distant third person omniscient one that stays close to Noah/Jonah and then there is the livelier one in the Secret Files. They feel like two different people. I am intrigued by your take on the mother. Do you think child readers are going to see her as you do? I think they are going to be far more interested in Cloud than in her, other than vaguely wondering what she is up to. That is, I think her role is ominous and underlying all, but so subtle that I don’t think kids are going to be focused on it. I actually was wondering more about the father and is so-called mink farmer novel. A rich, rich reading experience indeed. Loving that it is getting attention this way — making me think it is a Newbery contender, something I hadn’t before:)...(Comment on Betsy Bird's blog review).
.....Interesting about Cloud and Wallfish. After also hearing about it at a preview I read it months ago and struggled with the ease with which Noah/Jonah learned German having had firsthand experience of my own living in Germany as a child. However, I also was positively taken with the description of East Berlin having been there myself with my mother (who was from Berlin) in 1965. Rereading it months later for the review I felt quite differently --- I then accepted Jonah's ease with the language and was much more taken with the plot and atmosphere. I thought the Secret Files were a clever device --- the voice used for them was much more intrusive --- in a good way --- than the solemn omniscient narrator of the main story line. A very unique and compelling book, addressing a piece of relatively unfamiliar modern European history beautifully. (Something I wrote in an email conversation about the book.)
December 25, 2016
This is a wonderful read. It's got a great setting, a smart, thoughtful protagonist, and absolutely fascinating parents.
1. The setting is vividly drawn and the details on the Iron Curtain, from the approved vacation spots to the constant surveillance, are superbly done.
2. Noah is a great protagonist! He's observant, especially when it comes to the effect his stutter has on the people he meets, and he's smart. When he makes a bad decision, it's because he's chosen friendship over whatever warning his brain throws up. He sees the world through his young eyes but he relays enough detail to keep all readers engaged.
There's a second, more omniscient point of view, and I can't believe I'm saying this, but I think it's incredibly well done - entertainingly written, informative, succinct.
3. And now for the most fascinating aspect of the book: the parents. There isn't much background detail given, but his parents have to be CIA, right? There's too much wackiness and suddenness and insider knowledge going on for there to be any other explanation. I kind of love it. There's an angle from which this novel is really not historical fiction about East Germany, but the moment in time when Noah first realizes how much his presence - and his stutter! - help his parents (especially his mother) blend in, and how much they love him and use him. It's really nuanced, interesting stuff.
One negative note: I'm not a fan of the cloud and wallfish names. I think they're too contrived, too deliberate, and too cutesy.
Highly recommended, though. I liked this a lot.
1. The setting is vividly drawn and the details on the Iron Curtain, from the approved vacation spots to the constant surveillance, are superbly done.
2. Noah is a great protagonist! He's observant, especially when it comes to the effect his stutter has on the people he meets, and he's smart. When he makes a bad decision, it's because he's chosen friendship over whatever warning his brain throws up. He sees the world through his young eyes but he relays enough detail to keep all readers engaged.
There's a second, more omniscient point of view, and I can't believe I'm saying this, but I think it's incredibly well done - entertainingly written, informative, succinct.
3. And now for the most fascinating aspect of the book: the parents. There isn't much background detail given, but his parents have to be CIA, right? There's too much wackiness and suddenness and insider knowledge going on for there to be any other explanation. I kind of love it. There's an angle from which this novel is really not historical fiction about East Germany, but the moment in time when Noah first realizes how much his presence - and his stutter! - help his parents (especially his mother) blend in, and how much they love him and use him. It's really nuanced, interesting stuff.
One negative note: I'm not a fan of the cloud and wallfish names. I think they're too contrived, too deliberate, and too cutesy.
Highly recommended, though. I liked this a lot.
May 17, 2019
Brilliant. Important and enjoyable. I love children's historical fiction from my lifetime, hf that is about a time that children can ask their grandparents for memories of, hf that is still directly relevant. Sure, older history is relevant, too, but more abstract... let youngsters work backwards, think of it as digging deeper.
This history, I remember. This book got me biting my nails, and crying, and laughing.
I love the small story of Noah/Jonah, and the larger stories of the families' mysteries, and the larger still of history. The fall of the Wall is a really big deal, not just for the reunification but for much wider implications. And Nesbet gracefully provides the history lessons right in the book, for independent readers not lucky enough to discuss this with their classmates or educators.
I love bonus details, for example:
" A Tip for Unspeakably Terrible Times
Working on jigsaw puzzles together is the perfect way to spend otherwise awkward hours, or to bridge... awkward silences.... It is much more comfortable to have a project that keeps your hands busy... cooking, making quilts, building something...."
(The only nit that I have to pick is that the 'faun' in the second book of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland & Through the Looking-Glass is actually a fawn.)
Highly recommended.
I will look for more by the author.
This history, I remember. This book got me biting my nails, and crying, and laughing.
I love the small story of Noah/Jonah, and the larger stories of the families' mysteries, and the larger still of history. The fall of the Wall is a really big deal, not just for the reunification but for much wider implications. And Nesbet gracefully provides the history lessons right in the book, for independent readers not lucky enough to discuss this with their classmates or educators.
I love bonus details, for example:
" A Tip for Unspeakably Terrible Times
Working on jigsaw puzzles together is the perfect way to spend otherwise awkward hours, or to bridge... awkward silences.... It is much more comfortable to have a project that keeps your hands busy... cooking, making quilts, building something...."
(The only nit that I have to pick is that the 'faun' in the second book of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland & Through the Looking-Glass is actually a fawn.)
Highly recommended.
I will look for more by the author.
October 3, 2016
This book is utterly BRILLIANT. It's exhilaratingly smart and fun, a wild ride from the very beginning, when 11-year-old Noah is picked up from school in Virginia by his parents only to be told his name isn't really Noah, he isn't really 11 after all, and they're heading to East Berlin (this is set in 1989, when the Wall was still up) IMMEDIATELY, using an all-new set of names and a made-up history he urgently has to memorize....oh, and that from now on, he can't ask any questions, because SOMEONE will always be listening from the moment they arrive in East Berlin!
It's a fascinating and enormously fun story full of secrets and codes and mysteries, the setting is incredibly rich...and oh, the emotional developments as Noah makes a true friend in one of his neighbors and is drawn into her own painful and mysterious story!
This was an utterly compulsive read from beginning to end, I enjoyed every moment of it, and the ending made me cry in a very, very good way.
I LOVED this book. The first thing I did when I finished reading was open up the Cybils nomination page, because I wanted to nominate it for the best MG (non-speculative-)fiction book of the year. But of course someone else had already nominated it! It really does deserve to win all of the awards.
I haven't been so blown away by any book I've read for a very, very long time. <3 <3 <3!
It's a fascinating and enormously fun story full of secrets and codes and mysteries, the setting is incredibly rich...and oh, the emotional developments as Noah makes a true friend in one of his neighbors and is drawn into her own painful and mysterious story!
This was an utterly compulsive read from beginning to end, I enjoyed every moment of it, and the ending made me cry in a very, very good way.
I LOVED this book. The first thing I did when I finished reading was open up the Cybils nomination page, because I wanted to nominate it for the best MG (non-speculative-)fiction book of the year. But of course someone else had already nominated it! It really does deserve to win all of the awards.
I haven't been so blown away by any book I've read for a very, very long time. <3 <3 <3!
November 13, 2022
I dropped this into my TBR a long time ago and forgot all about it until it came up randomly. Knowing me, I probably saw "Iron Curtain" and "East Berlin" in the blurb and just added it without doing any further digging.
Turns out, it's way too kiddie for me. I'm out at 13%.
Turns out, it's way too kiddie for me. I'm out at 13%.
November 30, 2017
One of the better MG historical fiction novels I've read in a while! Although it took me a couple weeks to finish, that's only because I was sidetracked with other items. CLOUD AND WALLFISH is a fascinating tale of 1989 Berlin, with characters that are quirky & engaging. This is definitely a title that should be getting more attention.
One day after school, eleven-year-old Noah Keller is told by his parents they are heading to Berlin; his mother is doing research for children similar to Noah (stuttering problem) & his father is desiring to finish his book. Noah quickly comes to realize how different things are in Berlin than they were in Virginia- the Wall is still up, dividing East & West Germany. While Noah doesn't fully understand this, his parents explain that they are new people now. Now Noah is Jonah Brown & 10! What is up with that? His parents explain the "rules" to him: no more asking questions because there are spies always listening to you.
Jonah becomes lonely as he is not allowed to attend school & eventually finds solace in his neighbor, Claudia. Like him, Claudia is quiet & curious, & dealing with living with her wretched grandmother after she is told her parents have died in a car accident. Claudia doesn't know how to accept this answer & still believes they're out there somewhere. They wouldn't just forget about her, would they?
To ease their sorrows, Jonah & Claudia become Cloud & Wallfish; they create their own world as they mark up Berlin maps with their art. It's their secret world & no one can take that away. Unfortunately though, they come to discover just how dangerous & serious the GDR took things. Being separated from Claudia, Jonah doesn't give up on his friend. Instead, they create a communication of sorts through taps on the walls. But when Jonah's mother reveals a secret about Claudia's parents, Jonah must decide whether or not to break the rules for a friend.
Right off the bat, we are pulled into Noah/Jonah's world. His parents are...odd, I'll admit that. His mother certainly had some secrets & tricks up her sleeve; his father was always coming up with some strange comments. They were basically a couple out of a sketchball-screwball comedy. But it worked. You don't always get to see parents play a larger role in MG/YA books & it was nice to see. I had to question their intentions at times, but never their love for N/J. I hated Claudia's grandmother, but that was to be expected. The friendship between Jonah & Claudia was really lovely & well-done. The pacing was great; perhaps it got a tad slow in the middle but very action packed all around. (Always have to be on alert for whose watching.)
My favorite thing about this novel was the "secret files" Nesbet included in each chapter regarding the history & events that were happening at the time (translated from German from Nesbet, who was living in Berlin in 1989). I'll admit that I'm not as educated on that period of history as much as I should be & I was delighted she blended fact/fiction (always question!!) seamlessly. She chose to add these to the end of each chapter, rather than all at once at the end, so readers will learn alongside our protagonist.
I do think the novel tied together a bit too neatly towards the last quarter, which is why I knocked it down a star. I wish the ending wasn't so abrupt, that there would have been some kind of closure, but I appreciate Nesbet's choice in showing that it wasn't like that, especially not in 1989 Berlin. Oh well, such is life.
An excellent addition to any middle school collection or historical fiction fans in general because even though Noah is 10 (really 11), this reads on the higher side of MG & forces the audience to think. A strong 4 stars!
One day after school, eleven-year-old Noah Keller is told by his parents they are heading to Berlin; his mother is doing research for children similar to Noah (stuttering problem) & his father is desiring to finish his book. Noah quickly comes to realize how different things are in Berlin than they were in Virginia- the Wall is still up, dividing East & West Germany. While Noah doesn't fully understand this, his parents explain that they are new people now. Now Noah is Jonah Brown & 10! What is up with that? His parents explain the "rules" to him: no more asking questions because there are spies always listening to you.
Jonah becomes lonely as he is not allowed to attend school & eventually finds solace in his neighbor, Claudia. Like him, Claudia is quiet & curious, & dealing with living with her wretched grandmother after she is told her parents have died in a car accident. Claudia doesn't know how to accept this answer & still believes they're out there somewhere. They wouldn't just forget about her, would they?
To ease their sorrows, Jonah & Claudia become Cloud & Wallfish; they create their own world as they mark up Berlin maps with their art. It's their secret world & no one can take that away. Unfortunately though, they come to discover just how dangerous & serious the GDR took things. Being separated from Claudia, Jonah doesn't give up on his friend. Instead, they create a communication of sorts through taps on the walls. But when Jonah's mother reveals a secret about Claudia's parents, Jonah must decide whether or not to break the rules for a friend.
Right off the bat, we are pulled into Noah/Jonah's world. His parents are...odd, I'll admit that. His mother certainly had some secrets & tricks up her sleeve; his father was always coming up with some strange comments. They were basically a couple out of a sketchball-screwball comedy. But it worked. You don't always get to see parents play a larger role in MG/YA books & it was nice to see. I had to question their intentions at times, but never their love for N/J. I hated Claudia's grandmother, but that was to be expected. The friendship between Jonah & Claudia was really lovely & well-done. The pacing was great; perhaps it got a tad slow in the middle but very action packed all around. (Always have to be on alert for whose watching.)
My favorite thing about this novel was the "secret files" Nesbet included in each chapter regarding the history & events that were happening at the time (translated from German from Nesbet, who was living in Berlin in 1989). I'll admit that I'm not as educated on that period of history as much as I should be & I was delighted she blended fact/fiction (always question!!) seamlessly. She chose to add these to the end of each chapter, rather than all at once at the end, so readers will learn alongside our protagonist.
I do think the novel tied together a bit too neatly towards the last quarter, which is why I knocked it down a star. I wish the ending wasn't so abrupt, that there would have been some kind of closure, but I appreciate Nesbet's choice in showing that it wasn't like that, especially not in 1989 Berlin. Oh well, such is life.
An excellent addition to any middle school collection or historical fiction fans in general because even though Noah is 10 (really 11), this reads on the higher side of MG & forces the audience to think. A strong 4 stars!
March 8, 2020
Kniha o východnom Berlíne (!) pre deti (!), ktorú napísala Američanka (!). Navyše je to horor pre deti, ktorý si nič nevymýšľa, iba stavia príbeh na skutočných udalostiach.
Fíha!
Fíha!
October 18, 2020
Kniha, ktorá dokáže súčasnému dieťaťu reálne priblížiť, aké je (bolo) žiť v socialistickom bloku (v neslobode).
November 30, 2019
Pekny pribeh pre tinedzerov. O priatelstve, o pravde, o slobode. Vo mne to rezonovalo, lebo som si pamatala ten cas. Skusim dat precitat synovi, ktory takuto skusenost nema. Co on na to :)
December 27, 2016
Young readers will like the spy novel subplot. Many have this book on their Newbery contender lists and I thought the beginning unfolded in a weird and engaging way, but I had issues with the crafting of plot and development of characters. Noah Keller is picked up from school one day only to find his world turned upside down as his parents take him to the airport to live in East Germany for six months while his mom finishes her PhD in studying children with speech impediments. Noah has no warning. The sudden flight is suspicious and mysterious. Noah doesn't know what to think when he arrives behind the Wall in a world lacking freedom and full of fear. He makes friends with a neighbor girl that causes all sorts of problems with authorities.
The book lacked authenticity for me. I've lived in three different countries and every time I move I struggle with some form of culture shock. While I think children can handle it fairly well compared to adults as they are immersed in school, Noah doesn't even struggle with it. Compare it to the book, "Inside Out and Back Again," where the character moves to the U.S. from Vietnam. In that plot the anger and struggles with communicating in a new country using a second language are much more authentic. Noah also learns the language in isolation too quickly. The author gives him a photographic memory to try and justify his gift with learning languages, but he would have needed to be immersed in the culture in some form to become that fluent and have that high of a vocabulary in only three months. But he isn't in a local school. He's at home waiting for approval from the government to go to school.
Noah has a stuttering problem; however, little depth of understanding to the problem. It is a token disability; not like the character in "Paperboy," by Vince Vawter who works on breathing techniques to try and communicate. Also, how could Noah be understood in German when no one could understood him in English except his parents? Noah becomes friends with an East German girl talking to her in his second language fluently.
I didn't think the author captured life in East Germany in a well-rounded way. As a reader, I felt like an outsider looking through a stereotyped Western window or view of behind the iron curtain. Again, it didn't feel well-rounded or authentic, but more from textbooks. Maybe that was because of the way the author chose to explain facts in popup "Secret Files" boxes. I think it is really hard as an outsider trying to understand another culture and capture the sounds, smells, and uniqueness of what it is like living as an expat. While the suspense is well-done, this fell short for me.
The book lacked authenticity for me. I've lived in three different countries and every time I move I struggle with some form of culture shock. While I think children can handle it fairly well compared to adults as they are immersed in school, Noah doesn't even struggle with it. Compare it to the book, "Inside Out and Back Again," where the character moves to the U.S. from Vietnam. In that plot the anger and struggles with communicating in a new country using a second language are much more authentic. Noah also learns the language in isolation too quickly. The author gives him a photographic memory to try and justify his gift with learning languages, but he would have needed to be immersed in the culture in some form to become that fluent and have that high of a vocabulary in only three months. But he isn't in a local school. He's at home waiting for approval from the government to go to school.
Noah has a stuttering problem; however, little depth of understanding to the problem. It is a token disability; not like the character in "Paperboy," by Vince Vawter who works on breathing techniques to try and communicate. Also, how could Noah be understood in German when no one could understood him in English except his parents? Noah becomes friends with an East German girl talking to her in his second language fluently.
I didn't think the author captured life in East Germany in a well-rounded way. As a reader, I felt like an outsider looking through a stereotyped Western window or view of behind the iron curtain. Again, it didn't feel well-rounded or authentic, but more from textbooks. Maybe that was because of the way the author chose to explain facts in popup "Secret Files" boxes. I think it is really hard as an outsider trying to understand another culture and capture the sounds, smells, and uniqueness of what it is like living as an expat. While the suspense is well-done, this fell short for me.
April 4, 2017
What a bizarrely wonderful book!
I love WWII historical fiction but have never read anything set in post-WWII Germany. Cloud and Wallfish is just that - the story of kid in 1989 who is torn out of his peaceful American life and brought to live on the East German side of the Berlin Wall with his very suspicious-acting parents. As Noah learns about the history of the German Democratic Republic, we learn along with him - through "secret files" at the end of each chapter. These are a great touch - they give readers background on what was going on in Germany at the time without taking you completely out of the story.
The "bizarre" aspect of this book was definitely Noah's parents. Particularly his mom - I still don't know what to make of her. But the mysterious words and actions of the Kellers/Browns are what gave this book a quirkiness that can certainly make it more appealing to kids who typically shy away from historical fiction.
I love WWII historical fiction but have never read anything set in post-WWII Germany. Cloud and Wallfish is just that - the story of kid in 1989 who is torn out of his peaceful American life and brought to live on the East German side of the Berlin Wall with his very suspicious-acting parents. As Noah learns about the history of the German Democratic Republic, we learn along with him - through "secret files" at the end of each chapter. These are a great touch - they give readers background on what was going on in Germany at the time without taking you completely out of the story.
The "bizarre" aspect of this book was definitely Noah's parents. Particularly his mom - I still don't know what to make of her. But the mysterious words and actions of the Kellers/Browns are what gave this book a quirkiness that can certainly make it more appealing to kids who typically shy away from historical fiction.
October 31, 2016
I adore this book. The period of history surrounding East/West Berlin and the Berlin Wall is not one that I am particularly informed about so I was glad to get a better picture of the politics involved.
This book is told through the eyes of a ten-year-old boy with an Astonishing Stutter named Noah (with the help of some Secret Files). His parents, who have secrets of their own, tell him his name is Jonah now and move him to East Berlin where everyone is listening. His friendship with Claudia, the little girl downstairs, absolutely melted me. One of my favorite reads this year!
This book is told through the eyes of a ten-year-old boy with an Astonishing Stutter named Noah (with the help of some Secret Files). His parents, who have secrets of their own, tell him his name is Jonah now and move him to East Berlin where everyone is listening. His friendship with Claudia, the little girl downstairs, absolutely melted me. One of my favorite reads this year!
Read
November 27, 2019What a great read! I really liked the author's style of writing! Her accurate and artistic descriptions of things that I have felt or thought were so enjoyable to read. Such a great historical fiction. It was full of action and emotion. I loved the way the author gave you a good grip on this time in history that was not strictly factual and dry, but that was engaging and made you not want to put the book down. I really liked the family's relationships in this story. So enjoyed Leah reading this aloud to me, Jo and P on our weekend trip to a basketball tournament.
July 28, 2017
I am a huge fan of historical fiction, so when I read the synopsis for this I knew I'd enjoy it. It was my first experience reading about Germany/Europe post-WWII, and after reading this I'm interested in learning more about the period.
But the true reason this book has earned four stars from me is the portrayal of Noah ("Wallfish") and Claudia's ("Cloud") wonderful friendship. I also love its themes of inclusion - Noah has a stutter - and as it's aimed at children, this is SO important!
But the true reason this book has earned four stars from me is the portrayal of Noah ("Wallfish") and Claudia's ("Cloud") wonderful friendship. I also love its themes of inclusion - Noah has a stutter - and as it's aimed at children, this is SO important!
April 10, 2019
I loved this book! I got it for free from my school library because they were getting rid of advance reader's copies and I do not regret it. It shows how two different people bonded over the fact that they felt like outcasts in their communities. I also really liked the historical aspect of it and learning about what life was like in East Germany in the 1980's.
November 5, 2018
Terrific book! The author has a way of putting into words things that you've thought and felt with beautiful word pictures. I loved how the author kept the story interesting without sacrificing the history of the time it was written in. It was so well written that I will be looking into other books written by this author.
November 9, 2019
so beyond wonderful
February 20, 2017
So: I love European history. I love middle grade books. One of my aspirations in life is to make history fun for kids. And this book hit the mark on all of it, I think. Set immediately preceding the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, it follows Noah, an American in East Berlin.
The chapters are mixed between Noah's story and "Secret Files" at the end explaining history as it was, including primary sources translated by the author (who also lived in East Berlin in 1989). So while it's an entertaining story it's very educational too. I'm a history major and I learned new stuff. I enjoyed reading about Noah and Claudia and I like that the author doesn't hold back on what sort of horrible things happen to people in East Germany. It really feels like a story through the eyes of a ten-year-old.
The only criticism is that Noah sometimes feels a lot older than 10. He reads around 15 in some parts. But other than that it was great and I highly enjoyed this.
The chapters are mixed between Noah's story and "Secret Files" at the end explaining history as it was, including primary sources translated by the author (who also lived in East Berlin in 1989). So while it's an entertaining story it's very educational too. I'm a history major and I learned new stuff. I enjoyed reading about Noah and Claudia and I like that the author doesn't hold back on what sort of horrible things happen to people in East Germany. It really feels like a story through the eyes of a ten-year-old.
The only criticism is that Noah sometimes feels a lot older than 10. He reads around 15 in some parts. But other than that it was great and I highly enjoyed this.
July 3, 2017
I've always been fascinated with Eastern Germany, particularly East Berlin - a fascination that grew when I spent a month living in Neukoln with friends in 2003. The bricks marking where the wall had been ran right across their street, only a couple of doors down from their building. I was amazed. But enough of my reminiscing... Cloud and Wallfish played on my fascination, with the atmosphere of the DDR beautifully evoked. It was great to see the historical happenings of the time through Jonah/Noah's eyes - see the simplicity of what was happening, while knowing the complexity of it. I loved the use of imagination - Cloud and Jonah's drawing of the East Berlin map. I loved that there was enough mystery there - were Jonah's parents really spies? Mystery that isn't resolved. Kind of felt like it could lead into a sequel. It could never be the same, but I'd read it if there was one.
September 27, 2017
Starts a little slow, but picks up and is a wonderful story about children behind the Wall in East Berlin in 1989. Noah, an American 11 year old who becomes Jonah when living in East Berlin, tells a great story of living in the communist society, of his friendship with Cloud-Claudia, an East German girl, and of their desires to learn and find the truth. Neither knows the full truth about their parents, but importance of family and good parents comes through, even in an environment where parents and children are often pitted against each other. The story seemed current to me as, in my mind anyway, we see the problems the extreme religious right or the extreme progressive left could lead to. Communist East Germany was neither an outgrowth of the extreme religious right or extreme progressive left, but its extremism is a mirror of what any kind of extremism can engender.
December 18, 2016
The book is billed for children ages 10-14, but I believe that it might be a bit mature for those ages, having two grandchildren between 10-14. Nevertheless, the book is a great story of two kids, the title characters of which are Cloud [Claudia] and Wallfish [Noah / Jonah]. The year is 1989, and the main location is Berlin --- East/West. Having lived through the events that are related in the book made the story so much more interesting for me. The history behind the Berlin Wall and its eventual demise is quite extensive. Telling the story from the perspective of two -approximately fifth graders- seems a unique perspective. Nesbet does a good job, and I would like to read some of her other novels!
I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway.
I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway.
May 30, 2018
I was looking forward to a book about the demolition of the Berlin Wall, but this book was largely disappointing. I didn't like any of the characters. There really was nothing to them. The plot was as murky as East Berlin must have been at the time. There were lots of mysterious "things" happening, but none of them were very developed and none of them really seemed to tie together or give any sort of a sense of what was really going on. The entire book was a waiting game for something to happen. Unfortunately, nothing really ever did.
December 4, 2019
Amazing! Whoever thought a story about living temporarily in East Germany in 1989 during its last months of Communism could be so entertaining?
Fans of A Night Divided who are looking for another story about the Wall will want to read this one.
Fans of A Night Divided who are looking for another story about the Wall will want to read this one.
November 9, 2019
Prave dnes (neplanovane) som docitala knihu, ktora je hlavne o Berlinskom mure. Velmi citlivo a putavo spracovana tema v inteligentnom young adult romane. Aj pre dospeleho citatela bude nepochybne prinosom.
October 22, 2017
Liked the plot line, but a little hard to follow at times.
May 28, 2017
Cloud and Wallfish is definitely a book that falls into the Books I Respect More than I Love pile. It's not a terrible book, though. I admire the heck out of Anne Nesbet's intricate writing and her attention to detail, and the snarky Secret File interludes alongside more history via exposition never felt out of place or unnecessary. In fact, it boosted the book's credibility.
I also really liked Noah. The poor boy was treated terribly by everyone outside his parents and Cloud-Claudia due to his stutter, and he deserved more than that (although it did show up a lot). I liked his curiosity and how he stood up for the people he cared about no matter what. Additionally, his friendship with Claudia was beautiful. I loved their puzzle-working and map-making, and they genuinely joined each others' company (those nicknames too!). It was very sweet.
However, there were still some things that didn't work for me and only made me like this instead of love it. For starters, this book moves slowly. Despite the multiple time skips, everything takes a while to get going, and even then everything else feels like it's taking its sweet time to develop. It's not bad, but I found myself getting impatient and wanting to get to the good stuff (the friendship!) more so than seeing Noah go to school in East Berlin or him pondering about his parents (who may have been spies ). By the end it was fine, but I feel that Nesbet spent more time worrying about her setting than her characters.
Also, I didn't find the friendship between Claudia and Noah that much of a focus of the plot. Most of the time they're separated and have to find other ways of communicating, and I really thought they would spend lots of time face-to-face. For me, this seemed more like a book about Noah becoming braver than really about the friendship between him and Cloud, which is a shame. I love heartwarming friendship stories, and while there was one here, it just didn't feel as important as the flap copy said.
In a sense, this feels like a version of The Book Thief for younger kids, with a lot of the elements in that that also work here: snarky narration, rich writing, and the historical background of Germany (only here, it's 1989 when the Berlin Wall still existed and the country was divided). However, Cloud and Wallfish suffers from the same problems: slow pacing, a focus on different things than I would've liked, and the characters felt somewhat static. Those who appreciate a good intricate historical book will like this, but I can't see any kids comprehending the absolutely massive scope this has.
I also really liked Noah. The poor boy was treated terribly by everyone outside his parents and Cloud-Claudia due to his stutter, and he deserved more than that (although it did show up a lot). I liked his curiosity and how he stood up for the people he cared about no matter what. Additionally, his friendship with Claudia was beautiful. I loved their puzzle-working and map-making, and they genuinely joined each others' company (those nicknames too!). It was very sweet.
However, there were still some things that didn't work for me and only made me like this instead of love it. For starters, this book moves slowly. Despite the multiple time skips, everything takes a while to get going, and even then everything else feels like it's taking its sweet time to develop. It's not bad, but I found myself getting impatient and wanting to get to the good stuff (the friendship!) more so than seeing Noah go to school in East Berlin or him pondering about his parents (who may have been spies ). By the end it was fine, but I feel that Nesbet spent more time worrying about her setting than her characters.
Also, I didn't find the friendship between Claudia and Noah that much of a focus of the plot. Most of the time they're separated and have to find other ways of communicating, and I really thought they would spend lots of time face-to-face. For me, this seemed more like a book about Noah becoming braver than really about the friendship between him and Cloud, which is a shame. I love heartwarming friendship stories, and while there was one here, it just didn't feel as important as the flap copy said.
In a sense, this feels like a version of The Book Thief for younger kids, with a lot of the elements in that that also work here: snarky narration, rich writing, and the historical background of Germany (only here, it's 1989 when the Berlin Wall still existed and the country was divided). However, Cloud and Wallfish suffers from the same problems: slow pacing, a focus on different things than I would've liked, and the characters felt somewhat static. Those who appreciate a good intricate historical book will like this, but I can't see any kids comprehending the absolutely massive scope this has.
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